Popular shoe repair business to close due to landlord notice to vacate
BENSALEM, Pa. - A long-running shoe repair business in Bucks County is closing at the end of the month. The owner says it wasn’t by choice, but he’s now looking ahead to the possibility of what might be next, after five decades in business.
Customer Jay Sklarow stated, "It’s a rare art that he does."
Over half a century in business, customers at Dominic’s Shoe Repair explain why they keep coming back. Sklarow continued, "He’s very talkative and he’s a really nice guy and he does great work. I guess that’s the most important thing is you’ve got confidence he’s going to do great work on your shoes."
Navy veteran Dominic Mormando followed his father’s footsteps and continued the legacy of Dominic’s Shoe Repair. He says, on average, in one year, he serves 10 to 25,000 customers.
To him, running a good business means building a rapport of respect over time. A photo shows Mormando’s shop as a local hangout in the 1980s.
"I have a large following. I have people coming here from Maryland and Virginia," Mormando explained. "You just try the best you can and try to please the people. When you’re dealing with the public, you gotta give them what they want."
There’s only a small number of shoe cobblers left. Mormando says it’s because most shoes today aren’t made to be repaired, but thrown out after wear. And now Mormando is getting ready to move out of his shop. The landlord gave him notice to leave as he’s under a month-to-month lease.
Mormando started Dominic’s Shoe Repair in 1970. He moved to the current location on Street Road in the mid-1980s. His final day is November 30th.
"Keep your phone number, my phone number and we’ll see what happens. If I can find a spot that’s reasonable rent and location is decent – not in a high crime area or nothing like that – then I might get into it. If I can’t, then I don’t know what else to do," Mormando stated.
In the shop, there’s a photo of Mormando’s third son, Jim, working as a third generation shoe cobbler in the 1990s. There’s another picture with his daughter, Cheryl, in the 1980s. Mormando, now 83-years-old, has quite a few grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
He didn’t plan on retiring so soon and hopes he can find another place to keep his shoe repair business going. "Once we fix ‘em, they come back, you know, they want more."