Rachel's Boutique celebrates 25 years in No. Brunswick
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer
In today's economy, it seems like longevity is a thing of the past. However, Rachel's Boutique in North Brunswick is about to celebrate its 25th year in business in town.

Rachel Ben-Altaba opened her store in October 1984, attracted to the location in the Hidden Lake shopping center because of the limited traffic and "peaceful area, like a resort." She said the North Brunswick store was "something we had in the heart," following two other stores that have since closed in Brooklyn and one at Fashion Plaza in North Brunswick.

Ben-Altaba decided that women needed high-end, designer clothing at reasonable prices, and sells sweaters, coats, suits, bar mitzvah outfits, prom dresses, mother of the bride and groom dresses, party dresses, shoes, pocketbooks, costume jewelry and belts. She said the apparel ranges from "fun daytime" to professional to eveningwear.

The 2,400-square-foot building carries brands such as Jovani, Canadian Carties, Nueva, Pazzo and Perlina.

"I love to dress women and make them beautiful and get the good side out of them. We make ladies presentable at good prices," she said. "We like to do one-stop shopping."

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER AMATO Rachel's Boutique on Towne Center Drive in North Brunswick is celebrating its 25th year.

Ben-Altaba came to the United States from Israel in 1977 and said, "When you come from a different country, you try to deal and wheel. You try to work something different. I love shoes, so we started with shows and extended to clothes and pocketbooks. Whatever ladies love in their hearts, we experience it."

Since then, she said her product line has expanded and the area itself has changed and become surrounded by housing units, but that it is a "nice area with nice clientele, professional clientele."

"You feel good about yourself, that you must be doing something good, thanks to our local customers making the business run [by continuing to shop here]," she said, noting how women travel from Queens and Long Island in New York to visit her store.

"A lot of beautiful years we have passed here," the Staten Island resident said. "Most of the times were happy times."

She believes the key to her success is oneon one customer service. She said she can dress a woman with 20 outfits within an hour.

"We look at the customer, look at her taste and go get her the outfits if we don't have it. They just ask for something and we get it for them," she said. 'It's homey. It's one-on-one, and it's a real friendly relation."

She also credits her seamstress, Rosa, and her good friend, Rita Manning, who helped her open the store and continues to run the store when Ben-Altaba is unavailable.

Rachel's Boutique is located at 2-60 Towne Center Drive.

The store is open 10:30 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to sunset on Friday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday and is closed on Saturday.

For information call 732-821-4600.