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Merci beacoup! Sayville again can get its French on this week with the Thanksgiving eve return of Paris Street Market to downtown.
Gale Scaglia is bringing back the community favorite, this time setting up shop behind the cute little yellow door at 52 South Main St. — next to the mega-cool tattoo place Palo Santo and two doors down from award-winning Sayville Bridal.
Before closing a couple of years back, Main Street Paris operated out of a building at 12 Main St. Scaglia, a retired Long Island Rail Road employee, said she closed the shop in 2017 in order to have time to help out family with child care.
“I recall telling my customers I will be back someday — to somewhere bigger and better,” Scaglia, 63, said Sunday night, noting that she’s pushing hard for a Wednesday, Nov. 26, opening. “My main reason to open Paris Street Market, originally and now, is to share the things I love the most with everyone.
“Whether you are the recipient of a gift or the giver, exchanging a beautiful gift of great quality invokes satisfaction and happiness,” added the Copiague native who was 21 when she purchased her first home — in Sayville.
Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce President Eileen Tyznar said the chamber is ecstatic to have Scaglia and Paris Street Market back in the fold.
“Her store adds a unique touch to South Main Street,” Tyznar said. “In these times of uncertainty, it is so nice to see a business come back and, even more importantly, be successful. Merci beaucoup, Gale.”
During many of Scaglia’s 28 years with LIRR, she worked weekends to make ends meet as a single mother and collected unique antiquities. This is when she developed a passion for retail, working at Sayville’s Cottage & Company and another shop in Stony Brook.
“I also would go to trade shows with my bosses to purchase goods for our stores,” Scaglia said. “This introduced me to the world of retail.”
Scaglia added that she wasn’t worried about the challenges of purchasing for her own shop, because, as part of her job with the railroad, Scaglia conducted purchases in the millions of dollars for the transportation department.
As the grandchild of French and Italian immigrants, Scaglia developed a high appreciation for European antiquities. She said Paris Street Market is a “warm, embracing, shoppe” that not only sells antiques, but new furniture, specialty soaps, candles, jewelry, books, puzzles, specialty foods, lavender, flowers, and other unique eye-catching decor.
“Much like any Paris street market!” she noted.
“When I visited Italy when my daughter studied there, I loved the beautiful small shops snd friendly, embracing people,” Scaglia said. “They had pride in their shops and their culture, and they were truly inspiring. I also had the same inspiration from the shops I saw in Paris.
“I wanted to bring that atmosphere to my small town. Hence, I created Paris Street Market.”
