The new Pencie and Ginger Children’s Boutique in Escalon, at 1702 Main, is the realization of a dream for owner Adriana Pinasco Lewis.
She drew the name of her shop from the names of her maternal great-grandmother (Pencie) and maternal grandmother (Ginger) and said it seemed to fit because the names were “vintage sounding and unique,” the same as the shop itself.
With vintage and unique children’s clothing lines and a variety of items for kids from lunch kits to backpacks to outerwear, Lewis is excited to be in business downtown.
“We have hard to find unique clothing and accessories for children,” Lewis said, noting that she originally began the business primarily through online sales and by going to Farmers Markets.
It was this past summer that she crossed paths at one of those markets with Jamie Butler of The Butler’s Pantry specialty kitchen shop, and together the two made the decision to share space in the Main Street location. They had not known each other previously, though both are from Escalon, and discovered at the summertime Farmers Market that their brothers had been friends.
The women now share the running of the store, with hours Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“She does Tuesday, Wednesday, I do Thursday, Friday and we switch off the Saturdays,” Lewis explained, noting that the shared responsibility allows each of the businesswomen to split time between work and home. For Lewis, with a daughter (Sofia) who just turned two, she said the flexibility is great and offers the best of both worlds.
“My degree is in Business Marketing from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo,” added Lewis, and with experience in event planning, decorating and design, she has brought plenty of ideas and expertise to the downtown business.
Among the clothing lines offered at Pencie and Ginger are Kickee Pants, Aden and Anais, Persnickety, Haute Baby and Little Yellow Chick, just to name a few.
“We started with vintage style clothing, just for girls,” Lewis said, but they have quickly expanded to make sure boys aren’t left out and there are plenty of items available to fill a wide range of needs, with every day clothing joining the vintage lines.
“We do carry some handmade items as well,” she said “I buy from wholesale vendors, I started with vendors in L.A. but now purchase from all over the country.”
Lewis said she also is currently offering a promotion, teaming up with Erin Northcutt Photography, and if shoppers spend $75 at Pencie and Ginger, they will receive a free Valentine’s Day-themed photo session with Northcutt. That runs through Jan. 28 and more information is available from Lewis at the boutique.
The joint boutique and kitchen shop enjoyed a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting just before the holidays and Lewis said she has been extremely pleased with the first couple of months.
“The holiday season was good, I’m grateful to the community for the support,” she said. “And I’m excited for what 2015 will bring.”
