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Marisa’s Dress Making store closes after 30 years in Terrace

Owner Marisa Cervo will be retiring to Edmonton
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Marisa and her daughter Deborah Cervo have been working together at Marisa’s Dress Making store since 1989. (Natalia Balcerzak/Photo)

After 30 years of service, Marisa’s Dress Making in Terrace closed its doors on April 30.

Owner Marisa Cervo decided to retire from her business as she readies herself to move to Edmonton, Alta. to be closer with family.

“My motto has always been, it should not look altered, it should look like it should have been,” says Marisa. “I don’t do shoddy work.”

Alongside her daughter, Deborah Cervo, they had been running the store and clothing repair shop since 1989.

Marisa says that her favourite part running a business in Terrace was the socializing aspect, as customers would often come in and keep them updated them on their personal lives.

“It’s not so much gossip people have, it’s like therapy. They have their problems and stuff and they start talking about it,” she says.

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Marisa says she’s planning on taking a course to learn how to help manage a website as her daughter will be opening up her own online dressmaking store marcusmarisa.com, named after her and her grandson.

“I want to learn how to do the site, [how] to do it properly, to be able to upkeep it and all that,” says Marisa.

Deborah will also be moving to Edmonton, Alta. as her 18-year-old son will be attending university there.

Their location on Lazelle Ave. will be taken over by Handy Dandy, a shoe repair and fabric business ran by Dan Latreille. Marisa says she wanted to find someone who had a similar enterprise so her customers wouldn’t feel “abandoned”.

“Customers have all come in to hug me and tell me they’re going to miss me,” says Marisa. “I’m going to be visiting my brother because he’s retired and [now] I’m retired, we can go and walk the dog together.”


 


natalia@terracestandard.com

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