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Silver Lining; Where coffee (& boutique items) are in fashion
BIZ--Silver Lining Pic
Melissa Saghbazarian scans some of the jewelry at The Silver Lining the new business that she runs with sister Jacqui Arellano. Together they spent eight years at the helm of Main Street Caf, and still serve up the coffee drinks that helped establish a hearty following. - photo by JASON CAMPBELL/The Bulletin

Most fashion stores don’t open at 7 a.m.

The early morning hours, as they say, are for the birds – literally. The ones that chirp on the porches of local businesses and flock together outside of bedroom windows to keep average citizens from enjoying the day beyond the sunrise.

But Jacqui Arellano’s take on the boutique isn’t typical.

It also doubles as a coffee shop.

After calling it quits at the popular Main Street Café after nearly a decade, Arellano – along with her sister Melissa Saghbazarian – decided that something that wasn’t quite as time-consuming would be next on the list.

So with her dedicated customer base in tow, she threw open the doors to The Silver Lining to great fanfare, giving those that have supported her for eight years the chance to once again their favorite cup of coffee but this time while browsing any one of a number of unique items that she and Saghbazarian handpick from wholesale markets and trade shows.

“That’s the best part,” Arellano said. “We get to go to San Francisco every couple of months and pick things out, and we just got back from Las Vegas. And some of the things that we offer are handmade – we have one vendor, Bottom of the Barrel Creations, that turns old wine barrels into wall décor.

“Having that combination of new items and handcrafted items offers a variety for our customers to choose from. They enjoy that.”

The business is tucked in behind Wyatt Insurance on East Yosemite Avenue, and a pair of chairs and a small table sit out front for customers who might want to stop in for their favorite caffeinated beverage while traversing across town.

Arellano says that she never knows quite when customers will make their way into the store, but said that not knowing is a lot better than knowing that every single day there’s going to be a crush from 11:30 a.m. through the lunch hour.

The extra time now on her docket has been spent catching up on reading and building a solid foundation for the business.

Nearly all of her advertising, to this point, has been word of mouth.

And without any small gift shops or independent boutique stores in the community, Arellano says that she’s confident that her store will appeal to a niche market that’s currently underserved.

“Right now there’s no cute place for people to shop and if they want to get a gift or something like that they have to go to Target or Wal-Mart or somewhere like that,” she said. “We’re definitely different than a big box store. And since we don’t house multiples, you know that when you walk out of here you aren’t going to see somebody wearing the same thing that you just bought.

“It’s challenging not being on the go all of the time, but it’s also appreciated. I hope that comes across to those that come into the store.”

The Silver Lining is located at 1075 E. Yosemite Avenue, and is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. For more information search for The Silver Lining on www.facebook.com.

To contact Jason Campbell, email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call (209) 249-3544.