The owners of a self-described "mom-and-mom" kitchen-and-coffee shop on Massachusetts Street are selling to a former employee after 25 years in business.
Anne Yetman and Gunda Hiebert are selling The Bay Leaf, 725 Mass., to Geri Riekhof, who worked at the store for nine years in the 1980s.
Gunda Hiebert, left, and Anne Yetman, right, are selling The Bay Leaf to a former employee Geri Riekhof, center. The deal is scheduled to close next week. Riekhof will retain all five employees at the downtown shop, 725 Mass.
Until last week, Riekhof was manager of Helzberg Diamonds on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo., the flagship store for the 240-location chain owned by billionaire Warren Buffett.
But Riekhof never lost her love of Lawrence, its downtown or the store known for everything from Haitian Bleu coffee and Mystic Maid microfiber cleaning cloths to All Clad pots and Berndes nonstick cookware.
"Working for Anne and Gunda at The Bay Leaf was the best job I've ever had in my entire life the happiest, most gratifying retail experience and I always told them that when they were ready to do something different, they needed to call me first," Riekhof said. "I'd like to revisit that feeling."
Riekhof has offered jobs to all five of The Bay Leaf's employees, and all have agreed to remain on staff. She doesn't intend to make any wholesale changes.
"My goal is to maintain the ambiance, friendliness and customer service developed over the past 25 years and possibly take it to the next level."
Terms of the deal, which closes Friday, were not disclosed.
Yetman and Hiebert will remain owners of the building at 725 Mass., home to the store that opened there in May 1976.
The owners celebrated the store's 25th anniversary in June, welcoming dozens of former employees, longtime suppliers and dedicated shoppers to share in the experience of a shop that started small and never blinked in the face of the creeping influence of corporate retail into the downtown area.
"Being downtown I can't tell you how wonderful that's been," Yetman said. "The people we've met through the store, the things we've done I can't think of a single negative."
Hiebert said she'd miss the "mom-and-mom" store, which always has focused on personal service.
From placing special orders to wrapping gifts, The Bay Leaf's owners said they enjoyed having a small shop in an intimate retail setting. The shop has a cash drawer, not a register, and tickets are handwritten.
Yetman and Hiebert had been thinking of selling for about a year, and that just happened to coincide with a renewed interest from Riekhof to become a business owner.
The deal was done and none of the three, it seems, can stop smiling.
"Everything is going right the business is in great shape, downtown is in great shape," Hiebert said. "Geri has always wanted to buy the store. She finally got to the point where she was ready.
"It just seemed to be written in the stars to do it."
As for their retirement plans, Yetman intends to help her parents move from the family home in Pennsylvania. Hiebert has more relaxing plans.
"I'll be on Social Security and Medicare," she said. "For the first six weeks, I'll just eat bonbons and watch movies on TV."
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