Rosey Jekes opened in 1977 as a means for the couple to share their unique clothing designs with Hanover residents and visitors, Kenny Fabrikant said. The business' name was inspired by the Fabrikants' love of roses and the combination of the first two letters of each of their names. The couple also owns the basement cafe beneath the store whose goods range from coffee to paninis on artisan breads.
Kenny Fabrikant said he is eager to leave retail and re-embrace his creativity. He and his wife plan to spend the next 20 years traveling, teaching entrepreneurship and creating.
"My wife and I are going to rent a bus and cruise America, like we did when we were young," Kenny Fabrikant said.
He said the couple wants to give back to the community by inspiring and teaching young people to pursue their dreams, particularly via a partnership with students at Tuck School of Business.
When Rosey Jekes first opened, the store was considered a trailblazer, establishing a previously unheard-of style now known as "lifestyle clothing," Kenny Fabrikant said.
"We helped establish a new contemporary market for people who don't want to dress like their parents," he said.
The Fabrikants said they are proud of the contributions they have made to both the fashion industry and the Dartmouth community by hiring College students and providing them with a familial environment where they can learn and grow as people. Their retirement from the Hanover retail business was influenced by the town's shift from small, independently owned businesses to larger, more commercial companies.
The Fabrikants will retain ownership of the building that Rosey Jekes currently occupies and plan to rent the facility to two different businesses, although an agreement has not yet been reached regarding the new occupants, Kenny Fabrikant said.
Other local business owners said that the closing is unlikely to affect profits at other shops. Despite potential overlap in the customer base of Bella, Indigo and Rosey Jekes clothing shop, Bella and Indigo co-owner Mia Vogt said she does not expect her stores to see an impact, though the opening of two new businesses in the place of Rosey Jekes may have a larger effect on local businesses.
Umpleby's Bakery and Cafe owner Charles Umpleby also said he does not expect the closing of Rosey Jekes to affect his profits, particularly given that the opening of other cafes in town have produced little impact.
While many students were unfamiliar with both the clothing store and cafe, others said they will miss the town establishment.
"Although I haven't been to Rosey Jekes before, I am sad it's closing as I wish I could've tried it because I've heard such great things," Maddie Wall '16 said.
Kathleen Herring '14 cited the store's location "off the beaten path" and the availability of campus dining options as reasons she had not been to the cafe.
Stephanie Alden '16, however, said that this sense of isolation was part of the shop's appeal.
"I'm going to miss it so much," Alden said. "It was a great place for me when I needed some alone time since not too many '16s hang out there."
Miriam Kilimo '14 said she is upset by the closure of a local business, while Lindsay Newton '15 who said she is familiar with but has never dined or shopped at Rosey Jekes said she attributes many Hanover stores' success to word-of-mouth advertising and student accessibility.
"People will say, Meet me at Dirt Cowboy,' or, Let's go to Lou's for brunch,'" Newton said. "You don't hear Rosey Jekes' tossed around."
Staff writers Lindsay Ellis and Stephanie McFeeters contributed reporting to this article.
