Raritan Center business got its start in Italy


JERRY WOLKOWITZ staff Andrea Alvarez, Philadelphia, (l), looks at a linen blanket with Carol Quinby, the store manager at the Sferra Bros. outlet store, 15 Mayfield Ave., Edison.JERRY WOLKOWITZ staff Andrea Alvarez, Philadelphia, (l), looks at a linen blanket with Carol Quinby, the store manager at the Sferra Bros. outlet store, 15 Mayfield Ave., Edison.

EDISON — A business which started in early 20th-century Italy has now opened a local outlet in Raritan Center.

Sferra Bros. Ltd. sells sheets, table linens and baby linens that were formerly available only in high end retail stores, said Carol Quinby, store manager.

In early November, the company opened its first outlet store next door to its warehouses in Raritan Center.

The store stocks a variety of fine linens, some of which are lines that have been discontinued by the company or that the company simply has too much of, Quinby said.

At the outlet, shoppers will encounter clean white walls and a chandelier hanging over a display. Classical music plays in the background as shoppers look through the merchandise.

There are one of a kind linen napkins, placemats, guest towels, Egyptian cotton sheets, pillow cases, shams, and duvet covers, as well as hand embroidered baby quilts and other specialty merchandise.

According to Quinby, Sferra Bros. has held two warehouse sales a year in recent years. The success of the sales prompted the company think that an outlet store could be a success.

Quinby said she did not know what to expect when she came to the store. However, there have been steady sales and friendly people.

Most of the shoppers come from businesses in Raritan Center during their lunch hour or after work, she said.

The store, at 15 Mayfield Avenue in the Raritan Center, is next to the company’s distribution center.

The company recently moved to the area from Cliffwood, in order to have more room for stock, she said. The increased space gave the company the option of opening their first outlet store.

Although the firm’s most recent history takes place in Cliffwood, the story of Sferra Bros. started across the ocean.

In 1891, Gennaro Sferra come to the United States from Italy. While touring the country, from Maine to Palm Beach, he sold Venetian lace cuffs and collars to wealthy families, Quinby said.

In 1905, Sferra decided to open a factory in Venice, Italy, so that he could meet the high demand for his products. He would travel by steamer twice a year to Italy from the United States to design and create a collection of the unique linens, hand made laces, and embroideries.

In the 1940s, Sferra’s two sons, Enrico and Albert, took over the business and expanded it to include items from other areas of the world.

The company started offering linens from other international locales including Ireland, France and Switzerland, as well as embroideries from the Portuguese island of Madeira.

"Providing the linens and furnishings for society homes, heads of state and the Vatican, the Sferra brothers created a premier luxury linen collection renowned for its excellence in quality and graceful settings," Quinby said.

The merchandise in the stores changes daily, she said.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.