Houston Prime Real Estate - Rice Village dime store shutting down after six decades

April 05, 2010

Variety Fair 5 & 10, a Rice Village fixture since 1948, will close in 90 days, store owner Cathy Irby said.

Too many forces were working against it, Irby said, including the economy, Kirby construction and the general cost of doing business.

"I ran out of financing," she said, and the business hasn't turned a profit for years.

It was an emotional decision, but something she should have done some time ago, she said.

On Monday she put up a sign on the window stating "Thanks! for your support for over 61 years. We're closing."

Stacked with hardware, toys and games, novelty candy, souvenirs, gifts, seasonal items, school supplies, sewing notions, housewares, greeting cards and patriotic items, the throwback five and dime store on Rice Blvd. saw four generations of Irby's family working there. It was founded by her father, the late Ben Klinger, a beloved Rice Village entrepreneur who died in 2000.

If all goes well, Irby said, she can close her store without being in debt.

"I'm hoping our friends and neighbors will come in and buy our merchandise so we can close our store with the same dignity we've shown our customers for all these years."

Her store manager Janet De Leon has been with her more than 30 years. She started working there after earning a teaching degree. De Leon thought it would be just a summer job before she taught.

"I guess fall finally came," Irby said. "She plans to teach after we close."

If Irby is in debt when she closes, she'll look for a job, she said. If she has no debt, she plans to spend a few months volunteering and playing golf. She hasn't taken a vacation in 10 years, she said.

-David Kaplan

nancy@callnancyfurst.com