New boutique seeks to bring something fresh to Grants

GRANTS N.M. — On Saturday, August 7, at 9 a.m., Journi Jo’s Boutique held an official grand opening to kickstart the beginning of their business here in Grants, New Mexico. The grand opening was held at 201 West Santa Fe Avenue, Suite A, and it included the owner, her family, and their supporters welcoming the community to the boutique with muffins and beverages.

Rita Salazar is the owner of the business, and she has lived in Cibola County for about 21 years. Out of those 21 years, this boutique has been in the works for a little over a year, but Salazar has always wanted to open her own business, she said. According to Salazar, “The scariest part was to take a chance with all our savings and just go forward with it.” Once Salazar and her family finally took that leap though, they were all in and set on finding the perfect location for the business. They found the location on Santa Fe Avenue and she says Salazar proceeded towards what says was the most difficult part — traveling to California to meet with distributors, participating in many virtual meetings, many late nights and early mornings, and doing this all while being a wife and mother to six children.

After all of that hard work, Salazar is proud to finally have Journi Jo’s Boutique up and running, and she is thankful for all of the support from her husband and children during this process.

As for products go, Journi Jo’s Boutique will be offering children’s apparel, shoes, and accessories. The product sizes will range from baby sizes to about a size 10, but Salazar is hopeful that the boutique will offer teen sizes as well by fall of next year. As far as the quality and selection of products go, Salazar said, “We will be carrying brands you see at higher retail stores like Nordstrom and Saks. I wanted to bring something new, different, and fun for the kids here in Grants. So I hope everyone takes advantage and stops in and shops local.”

When asked why she thinks Journi Jo’s Boutique will be an asset to the Grants area, Salazar said, “As a mother of six, I know firsthand how hard it can be to have to drive out of town for school clothes, for a birthday/Christmas gift, an outfit for a special occasion — the list goes on. Grants doesn't have many options for children's clothing, so we are aiming to bring quality clothing for the kids in Grants.”

Going forward, Salazar’s hope for Journi Jo’s Boutique is that it expands, brings in a wider selection of products for the community to enjoy, and that it brings something new and fresh to town.

Journi Jo’s Boutique’s office hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and they will be closed on Sundays.