ROCKFORD Brothers Dave and Tom Giamalva locked the doors at Palace Shoe Repair for the final time on Friday, an emotional end to 95 years as a family business.
The brothers, who ran the downtown shop with their father, Lou, have spent the last couple months selling off their remaining inventory of shoes, boots, purses, wallets and other accessories.
“We’ve always known that the end could come,” Tom Giamalva told the Register Star in a March interview. “After this long and working with family, it’s very difficult. I won’t see my dad and my brother every day.”
The shop has been located at 204 N. Main St. since 1958. It opened in 1926 in the 100 block of North Main Street next to the Palace Theater, which was demolished years ago.
Rockford Business: Family-owned Palace Shoe Repair to close in April rrstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rrstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.