New location, same quality service at Dolly's Boutique

Yahoo

14-02-2025

SCRANTON — It's always a family affair at Dolly's Boutique.
Started by her mother, Dolores 'Dolly' O'Boyle, nearly 40 years ago on Prescott Avenue in the city's Hill Section, owner Colleen Zwick moved the business — which outfitted generations of girls with prom dresses — to 117 Wyoming Ave. A grand reopening was held in January during the Downtown on Ice festival, which coincided with what would have been O'Boyle's 85th birthday.
'I was going to wait until the spring, and I was like, 'We're going to tie it all into one,'' Zwick said.
O'Boyle, who died in June 2018, operated the shop for 33 years, and Zwick felt it was important to carry on the tradition of quality customer service.
'She really went way above and beyond for people and it's still like that today,' Zwick said. 'If they ask for something special, we'll try to get it in for them. I try to make sure I'm involved with every transaction, helping people out, and I think they appreciate it.'
That personalized attention brings customers from different parts of the state and country into the store, said Zwick, who noted they seem to be traveling longer distances, including as far as Michigan.
'They're coming to look at the University (of Scranton) or any of the schools and they find us, and they usually end up finding stuff,' she said. 'I think social media plays a big part.'
Zwick grew up around the business and previously served as a buyer as her mom was moving toward retirement.
'I'm one of five girls,' she said. 'After all the years of buying prom dresses, she got into it. She started with casual wear and it turned into this. When I came in (in 1999), we strictly went all prom (dresses).'
Zwick recalls her mom's passion for attending fashion shows and knack for developing friendships with everyone.
'She loved going to New York — it was a big thing back then — but they also used to do them in Pittston because there were so many garment factories down the line,' she said. 'She had connections with everybody.'
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Colleen Zwick, owner of Dolly's Boutique, inside her shop's new location on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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A Jovani display at Dolly's Boutique in downtown Scranton. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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Dolly Boutique's moved to a new location on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton after nearly 40 years in the Hill Section. (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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Dolores 'Dolly' O'Boyle (FILE PHOTO)
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Colleen Zwick, owner of Dolly's Boutique, inside her shop's new location on Wyoming Avenue in downtown Scranton (ROBERT TOMKAVAGE/STAFF PHOTO)
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Years of attending fashion shows with her mom and meeting representatives of the prominent suppliers led Zwick to pick up some of Dolly's habits.
'The owner of Jovani is the son of the original owner who my mother dealt with directly,' Zwick said. 'When I go to fashion shows with Jovani, we'll talk about it. She used to call and talk to him after hours and order stuff, and now I do it to (the son).'
Being so closely tied to the business also helped Zwick build relationships with other colleagues.
'Some of my salesmen, I've known since I was a little kid,' she said.
Among the biggest changes throughout the years have been a big increase in the types of fabrics and colors — even from 20 years ago — and the growth of social media, Zwick said.
'Whatever they see on social media, the kids want,' she said. 'Fortunately, we carry Sherri Hill and Jovani. The kids follow them on everything, and whatever they post, they come in looking for.'
One thing has remained a constant, Zwick added.
'Our customers, thankfully,' she said. 'I have a lot of people who shopped with their kids and now they're bringing in their grandkids. That's kind of cool. I like them to go out of here feeling good and knowing they paid a good price. I love when they show me pictures of what they bought in the past and I like to post their photos if they'll let me.'
Some changes within the neighborhood factored into the decision to move downtown, Zwick said.
'It was time,' she said. 'We were next to Allen's Pharmacy for all those years and he retired and moved. It was just not home anymore.'
Developer John Basalyga purchased 117 Wyoming Ave. in 2022 and feels the move by Dolly's represents another example of the downtown's ongoing revitalization. The space was previously occupied by Salben's — a family-owned women's clothing store — until it closed in 1990.
'It seems more and more people are seeing value in being downtown, and there is some activity on that block,' said Basalyga, who added his firm is working on securing a tenant for the second floor. 'It's great … bringing back some of the businesses like we had many years ago.'
Zwick, 49, of South Abington Twp., noticed her daughter, Julia, 15, a sophomore at Abington Heights High School, started spending more time around the business during the past year.
'I used to come in when I was little and try dresses on and now she's doing it,' Zwick said. 'She's really getting into it now and (the customers) love seeing her. She also wants to go to the shows, and the salespeople like to see her because they knew me when I was younger than her.'
As another part of the family dynamic, Zwick's son, Brendan, 12, designed logos for the business and works on the website, she said.
Leslie Collins, executive director of Scranton Tomorrow, a nonprofit community and economic development organization, stressed Dolly's excelled in its former location and she believes Zwick is well positioned to succeed in the new spot.
'Dolly's has been a staple in the Hill Section for decades and had a clientele that came from all over the region,' Collins said. 'She always had a great selection and always really focused on customer service. It's a great experience when you go into Dolly's, and we're beyond excited they relocated downtown. Colleen is standing on the foundation Dolly instituted and now she's had the opportunity to make great changes. And Colleen's daughter, if she has an interest in coming into the business, can provide her with great insight into what that demographic is looking for, too.
'We don't have many downtown businesses that are family owned from generation to generation anymore, so it's great to see a second- and possibly third-generation business thrive.'
As Dolly's celebrates four decades in business this November, Zwick expressed optimism about the store's future.
'Hopefully we'll be around for another 40 years,' she said. 'People feel welcome when they come in; they feel like part of the family, which is what we try to keep going.'