By Geena Monahan–For the North Star Reporter
After 40 years as an employee, then manager, and finally owner of The Dancers Drawer, Susan Mendes Barbour is stepping out of the spotlight.
Barbour, who took over ownership of The Dancers Drawer 25 years ago, first became involved with the store shortly after she moved to North Attleborough in 1976. Barbour was a lifelong dancer herself, and quickly got her two daughters involved in classes at Dimensions Center of Dance, originally owned by Mary Jane Dean.
“It became my passion; it was a gift,” said Barbour. “I never considered owning the store ‘work.’ I loved doing it, I loved little girls coming in and the sounds of them saying ‘look mommy, it’s pink!’ It would just melt my heart.”
Dean—who passed away in 2014— first offered Barbour a job when Dancers Drawer opened in 1989 at the former Odd Fellows building in North Attleborough. As Barbour’s children grew older and started school full-time, she moved up to front end manager of the store, and was eventually approached by Dean in the early 2000s to purchase the business.
“When she (Dean) decided that it was time for them to retire, she said ‘you can do this,’” recounted Barbour.
Taking the reigns
While her years of owning The Dancers Drawer is something Barbour will always look back on fondly, it didn’t come without challenges. Adapting to a world that makes purchases online with the click of a button wasn’t easy, and the COVID-19 years took a toll on Barbour’s business and presented new hurdles.
“The market got tough as the years went on, with Amazon, and I was definitely feeling it,” said Barbour. “But you offer customer service, you offer them a smile, you offer them a good fitting of your product.”
Shortly after announcing her retirement, Barbour was honored by state Rep. Adam Scanlon, D-North Attleborough, and the Downtown North Attleborough Collaborative with a Massachusetts State Citation to recognize “decades of dedication to North Attleborough and the generations of dancers she’s supported.”
Although Barbour didn’t grow up in North Attleborough, nearly 50 years of residing and working here has made the town her home. A trip to the grocery store can end in hour-long chats with friends that have been made over the years, and Barbour remains grateful for the relationships built through owning a small business.
When asked what she would miss most about owning The Dancers Drawer, Barbour responded without hesitation: the people.
“The community of dancers is just wonderful,” said Barbour. “Within a 50-mile or so radius, there are so many dance schools. I have customers that would regularly come from Bristol and Hope Valley, Rhode Island, up from Taunton, from all over. When I posted goodbye on Facebook, all of the comments and the memories people left brought me to tears. It was very humbling to be able to see the people I had touched.”
Carrying on a legacy
When Barbour made her decision to retire a year ago, potential buyers reached out that, for one reason or another, did not end up working out. However, when Martin and Katelyn McLaughlin heard that the store they loved and frequented for years was closing, they stepped in to make sure that didn’t happen.
Not only do the McLaughlins have a 10-year-old daughter who dances and visits The Dancers Drawer at least once a week, Katelyn McLaughlin also relied on the store while she was growing up as a dancer herself, recounting a story from 30 years ago where she went to The Dancers Drawer to get fitted for a pair of pointe shoes.
“We hope to keep being able to serve local communities and dance families,” said Katelyn McLaughlin. “We wanted to keep it going because we know how important it is to the dance community in the area. When we heard it was closing, we panicked. It’s really important to have a store like this to try things on in person.”
While the McLaughins, who reside in Wrentham, both have full-time jobs, they see owning a business local to North Attleborough as not only as a financial investment, but an investment in a community they’ve grown to love.
“It’s only been a couple of months now, but we are already really enjoying being a part of the community,” said Katelyn McLaughlin. “We love the neighborhood, the neighbors and are enjoying visiting the local businesses by the store.”
“This is something we wanted to get into to grow for the future for the kids, and to make a go at it in the dance industry,” said Martin McLaughlin. “There’s a lot of potential in this industry. Our goal is to make it the biggest in New England and there’s a tremendous opportunity here to have a storefront and potentially go online to add more value.”
One thing the McLaughlins won’t be changing? The name that Dean gave the store nearly 40 years ago, a name that has become synonymous with top-notch quality of dancewear and customer service in the industry.
Now that The Dancers Drawer has been transferred into new hands, Barbour is focused on spending her time in retirement with family, both near and far, taking day trips with her husband, and continuing the community service work she loves with the South Attleboro Lions Club.
“I wish them the absolute best,” said Barbour of The Dancers Drawers’ newest owners. “I think they’re going to make it their own, something different.”