New franchise opens in Princeton
By: Diane Hackett
"What do the words milk money mean?" my 5-year-old daughter asks as we climb the stairs to Milk Money, possibly the most cheery new business in Princeton.
"When I was young, we paid 25 cents for a little carton of milk," I reply. "Milk money was the change that rattled in my pocket as I skipped to school."
At last, a children’s consignment store in Princeton that offers good quality kids’ clothes for the price of a carton of milk, or, well, a wee bit more. And the best thing is that the store has a mission to serve communities and empower parents.
On this balmy day in spring, my daughter and I are shopping for spring clothes. We stop at the door and admire the crayon drawings taped to the outside. One says, in youthful handwriting, "Welcome people. This is a kid’s playing store." Another has two crooked faces with word bubbles that exclaim, "Let’s go to Milk Money!"
Located at 51 N. Tulane St. just around the corner from the library Milk Money radiates warmth. From the bright yellow walls and huge red calico flower pictures to the proprietor’s gregarious personality, the store is welcoming, casual and, according to a number of visitors to the store, exactly what this town needs.
"Everyone wants to save a penny, and I believe quality clothing should not be limited to the very elite," says owner and Princeton resident Gina D’Adamo, who opened the store on April 9 and reports her business has doubled weekly ever since.
"This is the best thing I have ever done, other than give birth to my daughter," adds Ms. D’Adamo, whose 6-year-old spends some of her free time helping in the store.
A classical violinist for 38 years, Ms. D’Adamo contemplated offering violin lessons after school and on weekends to make some extra money. Then she heard that her friends at the original Milk Money in Maplewood, where Ms. D’Adamo had consigned her daughter’s clothes for years, were franchising their store.
Ms. D’Adamo realized that owning a Milk Money store would allow her to balance making a living with raising her daughter. So she immediately made an appointment to franchise, and within a few months, she had leased space in Princeton and was ready to go.
The first Milk Money opened in 1999 with a clear mission: The owners of the flagship store, Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Danna Hunking, brought their young children to work daily and encouraged a cooperative work environment where people volunteer in the store in exchange for discounts and other benefits. Now that they are franchising, they view the opportunity for parents to be independent business owners as integral to their mission.
Milk Money’s Web site describes the company’s mission this way: "Our mission has always been guided by the desire to provide a warm and welcoming haven for local families a place where conservation, creativity and community shine through. And central to the Milk Money mission is the opportunity for store owners to strike that precarious work-family balance by raising their own kids while making a living, amazingly, at the same time."
The original store was so successful that within six years, Ms. Weiss-Wolf a lawyer, and Ms. Hunking, an actress and artist, had sold the store in Maplewood, franchised a second store in Montclair, and started the Princeton franchise.
"Gina is the perfect franchisee. She is groovy. She has great style and taste. She loves our store. She is a perfect fit," Ms. Hunking says.
Ms. D’Adamo purchased the Milk Money franchise for $10,000. In return, she received the store’s fun and funky graphic presentation as well as ongoing marketing, training and bookkeeping services. She pays royalties of 2 percent of her profit on a quarterly basis to the franchisors.
As we enter the store, Ms. D’Adamo approaches us with an ear-to-ear smile and immediately crouches down to speak to my suddenly shy daughter.
"Do you want to play in the playroom while mommy looks for clothes?" she asks, pointing to a little space that has a couch covered with wildly colored pillows, a chalk board with chalk scattered around it and lots of puzzles.
My daughter nods gently and I am left to browse the racks of clothes from newborn to size eight. There are designer labels I know and love, such as Hannah Anderson, Petit Bateau and Lilly Pulitzer, and others such as Oi’ Lilly and Baby Lu Lu, which I happily discover for the first time.
Milk Money will consign clean, seasonal clothes and shoes as well as books, videos and toys. The consignor will receive 50 percent of the sale on every item sold. At the season’s end, the remaining clothes will be sold at a series of discounts, 25 percent off, 50 percent off, and then as part of a $5 bag sale. Any remaining clothes will be donated to a local charity. Consignors can drop by the store or call to find out if they are owed any money. They then receive either cash or a check.
Ms. D’Adamo hopes that the store will become a gathering spot not simply for shoppers and consigners but for mothers’ groups, book clubs and other community groups who could use the space after hours.
As we are leaving the store with my daughter’s new/old spring dresses in hand, Princeton resident Robin Hauer walks in with a huge Peace Lilly plant as a gift for Ms. D’Adamo’s opening. She looks around the store and says, "This place is so bright and fun. How many stores can you come to that have a couch for your children and a nursing spot for moms? This seems to be much more than a consignment store."
Ms. D’Adamo’s face lights up and she replies, "It is. It is. I’m so glad you think so."
Milk Money is located at 51 N. Tulane St. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Parking is available behind the store. Milk Money can be reached at (609) 921-1665 or online at www.milkmoney.biz.