Owner Benny Tralongo has Accomplished His Childhood Dream by Purchasing First Storefront for SayWerd Clothing
Benny Tralongo, owner of SayWerd clothing, has been aggressively looking for a storefront for the last six months. The building he was looking for had to be at least 600 sq. ft. and located on a busy street. Even with a pandemic going on, Tralongo found a home for SayWerd, which is located on 3475 N. Oakland Ave.
The inside of SayWerd’s first storefront. (Picture by Benny Tralongo)
By owning a storefront, Tralongo said his business just became that more legitimate.
Tralongo has dreamed of having a storefront on Brady St. because of the success of his grandfather’s business, Glorioso’s Italian Restaurant. But he chose not to have his business reside on Brady because he said it’s turned from a retail spot to a late night, bar scene.
When Tralongo first walked into the location of his current storefront, he instantly knew that this was the building he could grow and move forward in with SayWerd.
“I still don’t think it’s real,” Tralongo said about purchasing his first brick and mortar. “At 28, I did it with two kids. It’s surreal.”
As a proud father of two daughters, ages eight and eight months old, Tralongo has large portraits of his children in the shop.
SayWerd’s vintage collection is also available at their storefront located at 3475 N. Oakland Ave. (Picture by Benny Tralongo)
He thought about the risk and knew that if he didn’t go all in, he would regret it later on.
“This is my future,” he said. “If I’m not willing to put the money up, I’m not serious about this.”
Benny Tralongo designed and built the entire inside of his store himself. (Picture provided by Benny Tralonogo)
“You either swing or you don’t. You’re not going to hit it if you don’t swing,” he added.
Tralongo spent the month of March filling out applications and paperwork and received the keys to the store on April 1, 2020. SayWerd is currently only accepting private appointments, until City Hall opens back up and approves certain permits for the store to open up to the public.
If he can make it through these times, Tralongo believes his business can make it through anything.
“This is a whole new book. I wanna do this forever,” he said about being a storeowner. “This is the highest I’ve ever been.”
Along with being a newly owned storeowner, Tralongo has been taking care of his daughters, while teaching the oldest one. He’s the happiest he’s ever been, with his fiancé right by his side to cheer him on.
“This has been the goal since day one,” Tralongo said. “Since I was 10.”
To shop SayWerd clothing, click here.