Fortunoff's in Hewlett shuts its doors

Fortunoff's Hewlett, a longtime retail staple in the Five Towns area, shut its doors for the final time last week.

The store's owners, Warren and Elaine Sloane, decided in early March that the time had come to close, and the last day of business was March 29. The Sloanes declined to comment on their decision to close the business, which had sold housewares since the early 1920s, first at a location in Far Rockaway and for the past three decades in Hewlett. 

The Hewlett Fortunoff's opened on West Broadway, where Trader Joe's is now, and for the past 10 years was headquartered at 1319 Broadway. The company dates back to when Charles Fortunoff opened a store on Central Avenue in Far Rockaway in 1922. His family set up shop in Hewlett in 1977. 

Charles's brother, Max, founded a separate company in 1922, which became the major retail conglomerate known as Fortunoff, without the apostrophe s. At its height, Fortunoff operated home, jewelry and furniture stores across the tristate area before filing for bankruptcy protection in 2008. 

Rhonda Rachlin, a Far Rockaway native and a former Hewlett resident, recalls shopping at Fortunoff's both in Far Rockaway and Hewlett. Rachlin, who now lives in Sag Harbor, bought many houseware items at the Far Rockaway store when she got married. "It was the quintessential store in our area for buying bridal gifts, home gifts, visiting gifts and holiday gifts," she said. "Fortunoff's of Hewlett will surely be missed by one and all." 

Mark Krouse of Island Park worked at Fortunoff's — for Elaine Sloane's father, Kal Gold — during his junior and senior years at Far Rockaway High School, in 1966 and 1967. Krouse, a subway conductor in New York City for the past 18 years, said he learned plenty from his retail experience, during which he unloaded trucks and organized items in the stock room. "I have fond memories there," said Krouse. "I'm very sorry to hear they're going out of business."