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In the beautiful Italian language, "romance" is pronounced "romanza."

Owners John Sterlin and Vince Harris began tossing around the idea for a unique retail shop in 1997.  Currently, Romanza has two Seattle locations and a full e-commerce web site at www.romanzagifts.com.

How did you get started?

My Mother was actually a big inspiration.  She opened a shop in my home town Walla Walla Washington almost 12 years ago.  I saw what she was able to accomplish, the creativity involved, and that planted the seed.  I guess you could say that I'm following in my mother's footsteps.  Vince and I have always loved boutiques and this gave us a chance to bring all the things that we love together in one place: wonderful fragrances, beautiful decor, wine, chocolates and the like.

The shops are beautiful, do you have a design background?

I came from a software development background and Vince is currently a Loan Officer with a major bank when he's not working in the shops.  Neither one of us had any experience when we started. We just jumped right in and let blind luck and, I suppose, a natural sense of style guide us.  We are not strangers to hammers & paintbrushes, that's for sure!

Why choose the name "Romanza?". What does that mean?

Romanza translates to Romance in Italian.  Vince is actually the one who had the idea.  At the time, Andre Botchelle, the opera singer, had released an album that we absolutely loved and it was also named "Romanza."  The name is perfect for the shop because we are drawn to all things Italian!  Many of the shop's colors, products and the look of the web site are inspired by the look of Tuscany.  Actually, the shop has evolved to convey romance from all over the world.  We have items from France, England, Italy, and many more romantic places.

Your largest shop is in Ballard, just north of downtown Seattle, why did you choose that location?

We live in Ballard!  We are very big proponents of working where you live and living where you work.  We feel very fortunate to support this great community and take part in its growth.  Since it's centrally located in the Seattle area, it has great foot traffic and is easy to find.  Ballard has many other wonderful shops and restaurants that are also a big draw and worth checking out.

How do you compete with the larger retail chains like "Pottery Barn" & "Restoration Hardware?"

Being such a small business, we can't really compete with corporations such as those so we always try to set ourselves apart.  I'll bet you've never been in "Pottery Barn" and found the owner there talking to the customers.  Hopefully, people will realize that truly unique and wonderful experiences can be had at small boutiques.  We feel that the large chain stores are contributing to the "Graying of America." Every town has an area that looks like every other town since all the shops are the same.  "Romanza" and the areas where we are located are unique.  All of the shops and the experiences while visiting them are unique.

How do you keep your look fresh?

"Romanza" has new looks & displays for every season and holiday.  Springs, summers, falls, winters and holidays, ranging from Mother's day to Halloween, bring fun and interesting items.  You really have to come to the shop during the holidays. It's a sight! We spend many, many hours making sure there is something that will just blow you away.

What is the long-term goal for "Romanza?"  What does the futur hold?

Honestly, it is our hope just to continue to thrive and provide jobs for our employees and ourselves.  We are not looking to expand into a national chain or become a "Fortune 500."  We just want to be successful at providing our customers with a shopping experience that will have them coming back again and again.   "Romanza" will continue to change as needed to support our customers and we hope that people will give us the chance to become their favorite shop and web site.

We've heard you are working with the "Ellen Degeneres Show". What's up with that?

Yes, we are very excited and thrilled to be working with her show.  Each celebrity guest on the show receives little gifts in the green-room while they are waiting their turn to sit down with Ellen.  Well, two seasons ago, one of her producers found our web site while on a search for the perfect gift for their guests.  They contacted us and our relationship was borne!  Now, every few weeks, they send us their guest list and we get to work preparing one of our favorite candles for each guest, complete with a hand written note thanking them for being on Ellen's show.  It is not uncommon for someone to hear, "hey, what should I write in Robin Williams' gift card?" in our shop.  Every once in awhile, one of the guests will mention their candle on the air, and that's the one from "Romanza!"

Now Two Seattle Washington Locations!

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