Boutique Black Label, a women’s clothing store in Wayne, will host its official grand opening on Oct. 1 and 2, celebrating with a Chamber coffee event, sales and a giveaway of a Kate Spade purse.

The weekend will start out with a Chamber coffee at 10 a.m. Friday, serving cookies, coffee and cake. A ribbon cutting will also take place that day. Saturday will bring a whole new set of sales with a food truck serving customers. All weekend there will be chances to put your name in their giveaways for an opportunity to win a Kate Spade purse or a gift card.

The store had originally opened last winter, but due to Covid, it could not host the grand opening that owner Shani Ramirez had hoped for.

The idea for Boutique Black Label came to Ramirez during her last semester of college at Wayne. She had always worked in customer service and thought that launching an online store would open doors to an exciting adventure. So, she jumped in, bought clothes from distributors that she liked and her journey took off from there.

“I started a website and made a Facebook page. That way my friends helped me, my friends and family, helped me spread the word and kind of get it started,” Ramirez said.

When the building spot opened in Wayne, Ramirez knew she had to jump on the opportunity. The great location right off Main Street offered easy access, ample parking, and a place right next to the well-known Johnny Byrd’s Brewing Company. Ramirez committed her all to the project and now has grown her business exponentially over the course of a year.

Wayne high school senior, Sydney Redden, has worked for the shop since the beginning, witnessing the changes firsthand.

“The store has grown a ton. We started out with a couple racks in the store and a table for the baby clothing, and then eventually, we started to build a lot more furniture,” Redden said. “The store has grown a crazy amount with the customers and the clientele base.”

Customers looking to shop at the boutique should expect a wide array of quality products including women’s clothing sizes small to extra-large, home goods, candles, cards, stationery and wax warmers. Their baby section also consists of clothing sizes newborn to six toddlers, books, blankets and more, according to Ramirez.

The shopping experience and incredible customer service give pride to the shop’s owner and staff. Ramirez works hard to ensure that customers are made comfortable, and their needs are fulfilled.

“It is a great boutique in town. It supports any style, whether you’re 10-12 years old or you’re 80 years old,” Redden said. “You can find anything for anybody, no matter age, size, whatever. And we have great customer service. I mean, if you walk in and you have a question, someone will be right there welcoming you and will be ready to answer your question.”

Owning a shop in Wayne matches perfectly with Ramirez’s drive to support other small businesses. From sourcing her products locally to inviting food trucks to events, the owner makes a point to give back in special ways.

“I feel like Wayne is very tight-knit and you can definitely tell it’s a small community. We’ve done a lot of events with other businesses,” Ramirez said. “Actually, so a lot of the things that we have in store are locally made, like our candles. I do a lot of my T-shirts here locally too. Also, I think that’s part of having a business, supporting other businesses and bringing attention to [them].”

Another employee, Marin Jepensky, a senior at WSC, joined the team in April of this year. She applied for a job at the boutique after hearing about the astounding work environment and flexibility.

Jepensky also expressed that the most rewarding aspect of working at the store comes from interacting with customers.

“I love seeing familiar faces come into the store, and really we couldn’t do all of the things that we have been doing without the support of Wayne,” Jepensky said. “And that’s the college students and the locals that live in Wayne, but we couldn’t do any of it without them.”

She has enjoyed the opportunity to further her involvement in the community, recognize people outside of the shop and understand the value that comes from interacting with people not just as customers, but as neighbors.

Coming up on Nov. 5-7, Boutique Black Label will have a pop-up shop at the Vintage Market in Elkhorn. Ramirez hopes to spread excitement about her products and bring in new customers.

The boutique has both Facebook and Instagram pages, where interested parties can find information, read about sales and events and see products. They can also go to the shop’s website at boutiqueblacklabel.com.