After struggling with the thought of over a dozen hard working staff being laid off when Bove Jewelers closed in February, the store’s General Manager, Bob Strehlau, made the decision to  keep the 87-year-old business alive and purchased the building from George Reinas “at the 11th hour”, writes Fran Maye for the Daily Local News.

While Strehlau, who is a fifth generation jeweler, did not disclose how much the purchase cost, he did say that it was a significant investment. The 8,000 square foot store in Kennett Square will see some major differences under its new management as it will focus on families, with price points significantly lower than before.

“I needed to give the store a fresh look,” said Strehlau. “Over the past 10 years, I think we got fancy with high-end jewelry. We were hearing that a lot of loyal clients were being priced out. “

Among the upcoming changes will be the addition of numerous items that were not sold by the old Bove Jewelers, among them designer lines and some new brands.

“I will have a kids department with entertainment,” he added. “There will be jewelry for kids, little girls’ bracelets, earrings and boys watches.”

Surprisingly, this will make the new Bove only the third independent jewelry store in the country with a showroom devoted to children. Strehlau has already signed on with Disney, Lego, and even Marvel for jewelry, and will feature jewelry with popular culture themes, such as Star Wars.

There will be a sense of familiarity at the store as the twelve employees from the old Bove will still be working there and Strehlau has also purchased the clientele database from the old store. Store hours will also remain the same and the store will also be open for special events such as the First Friday Art Stroll or Third Thursdays in the summer.  The reimaged store will have its grand opening on March 12th, at 9:45 a.m. with a variety of specials and prizes as well as free food, and refreshments.

Read more about the new Bove Jewelers on the Daily Local News here.