Melissa Paryse, on left, and Alli Henry are growing the Barn Door Boutique in Ooltewah
Barn Door Boutique, a women’s clothing and accessory retail store located in Cambridge Square, is expanding its footprint and inventory according to the owner, Melissa Paryse; she anticipates opening the expanded space in late October of this year.
Cambridge Square is a mixed-use community located in Ooltewah featuring numerous local restaurants, commercial and medical office space and a high-end residential district.
Ms. Paryse, who purchased Barn Door Boutique in 2018 after working almost three decades in corporate banking, has significantly grown the business in her short tenure as owner/operator. Soon after opening, her daughter Alli Henry came on board as the store’s marketing director, expanding the boutique’s social media presence and customer relations. The mother-daughter team, against all national brick and mortar retail trends, have established Barn Door as an essential destination for women’s fashion and accessories, said officials.
“While online retail continues to trend upward, an in-person shopping experience still has real value,” said Jim Cheney, marketing director at Cambridge. “Melissa and Alli understand this perhaps better than anyone else in the market, and we are thrilled to have such astute and forward-thinking operators. The fact that they are expanding their retail operation at Cambridge is very rewarding, and we are proud to have them as a member of the tenant family.”
The store’s expansion will broaden Barn Door’s inventory offering, providing additional lines of shoes as well as home décor and gifts. Currently the store carries brands such as Nora Fleming, HoBo, Diba, Dear John, Spanx, TopFoxx, GoodR, and Pura Vida.
The expanded space is adjacent to the existing store; the two spaces connected by a common outdoor plaza which Paryse intends to activate for photo shoots and both virtual and in-person shopping events.
“Cambridge Square has been a great fit for us,” said Ms. Paryse. “From our incredible customers to the other small business owners in the square, we feel very much at home and are excited to be in a position to continue to grow. Our staff has helped us get where we are today and the loyalty we have experienced from the community at large has been humbling. We can’t wait to expand the shopping experience at Barn Door!”