Downtown SLO store is closing after nearly 50 years: ‘This will be a huge loss’
A family-owned fabric store is closing after nearly 50 years in San Luis Obispo — marking yet another departure of a deeply rooted business in the city’s downtown.
Beverly’s Fabric & Crafts, which opened in 1972, specializes in fabric, yarn, home decor and other craft and sewing supplies.
The store announced its closure with going-out-of-business signs posted across its windows facing entrances on Higuera and Monterey streets.
Beverly’s, which is located at 876 Higuera St. between Ross Dress for Less and Victoria’s Secret, plans to close the end of November.
The store is part of a family-owned business launched by Beverly Sleeper in 1968 in Livermore.
The Beverly Fabric, Inc., chain once operated about 40 shops throughout California, but now has just two locations in the state, said Bridget Young, company vice president of leadership development.
The other Beverly’s store is in Soquel near Santa Cruz and the Sleeper family’s Aptos headquarters, Young said.
“We know this affects people’s lives and people are not happy about that,” Young said. “But we want people to know we are so grateful to the community and our employees for their support over nearly 50 years in SLO.”
Fabric store chain closes SLO location
The closure of the San Luis Obispo store comes as part of a general phasing out of Beverly’s locations that had long been in the works, Young said.
“The store is closing because the family has been planning to retire and the family has been gradually shutting other stores as well,” Young said. “A lot of the reason the family waited to close the SLO store was because the city has such a vibrant downtown and such a great community.”
Young said the business will miss its employees as well as multiple generations of customers, some who come weekly for quilting, crafts and costume projects.
The San Luis Obispo store currently has 12 employees, Young said.
“There are people who come a couple of times per year, especially around the holidays,” Young said. “And there are others who know this as a place to socialize and pick up threads, and stay and talk.”
Young said that Beverly Sleeper liked to make regular appearances at her various California stores over the years, including the San Luis Obispo location. That’s one of the reasons Beverly Fabrics, Inc., never expanded out of state, Young said.
“(Sleeper) has a genuine kindness about her and when she would walk in, sometimes it was like a celebrity had come,” Young said.
The departure of Beverly’s Fabrics & Crafts comes on the heels of the closures of other family-owned stores in San Luis Obispo’s downtown, including Charles Shoes, Forden’s home and kitchen store, Jules D. clothing shop and Kevin Main Jewelry & Design.
Bella B., Fiore Boutique, Len Collective, Peet’s Coffee and The Sock Drawer also have closed their retail storefronts downtown.
Several downtown stores have cited recent financial challenges due to coronavirus impacts and online competition, though Young didn’t attribute those reasons for the closure of the Beverly’s store.
SLO County customers will miss shop
Several customers shopping at Beverly’s on Thursday said the departure will be a significant loss to the community.
“This is where I come to get my paint supplies and craft products, and so many of my friends come here,” said Tatiana Barnett, a local artist. “I would love to just see somebody buy the store and take it over. This will be a huge loss for the downtown.”
Laurel Evans of San Luis Obispo said she’ll likely have to go to Joann Fabric and Craft in Santa Maria for supplies, and hopes the Michael arts and craft supply store in San Luis Obispo can pick up some more fabric products.
Templeton resident Inga Swearingen said she learned of the Beverly’s closing from her mother.
“We were sad,” Swearingen said, adding that the store conjures memories of sewing projects and kids’ activities, as well as funny hats. “We’ve been coming here for years. I grew up in the area and having known Beverly’s and getting things for projects — and everyone has always been so helpful in the sewing department. It is sad.”
Amanda Soto said she’ll remember coming to the fabric section with her great-grandmother.
“We came here for Christmas decorations and arts stuff too,” Soto said. “It will be a really big empty space downtown and it’s hard to fill these humongous spaces like this. It’s sad it will be sitting here empty.”
Arroyo Grande resident Morgan Kilbey, who grew up in San Luis Obispo, said she relied on the store for arts and crafts supplies such as baskets and paints.
“It definitely concerns me (the store is leaving) because SLO is known for having more boutiques and local clientele and so it’s sad to see a small business go,” Kilbey said. “It will be interesting to see what goes in there because it is a big space. But it would be nice to see another family-owned business go in.”
Downtown building up for lease
The Sleeper family owns the Beverly’s store building, Young said, and it’s unclear who might take over the tenant space.
An online real estate listing shows the two-story, roughly 26,000-square-foot property up for lease, for approximately $629,000 per year, or about $52,400 per month. A solar system was installed in 2012, the listing notes.
Over the next few months, the store will liquidate its supplies, with discounts of 20% to 80% off.
The store’s hours are expected to remain the same until it closes for good, Young said.
Beverly’s is open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
According to the store’s Facebook page, its mission has been to bring “our customers superlative customer service with a vast selection at low, low prices.”
“We’re also devoted to reaching out and supporting our local communities,” Beverly’s wrote on its page. “We support a wide variety of causes and contribute regularly to help those in need.”
This story was originally published August 7, 2020 at 10:45 AM.
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