By Brandie Majeau
Noreen Leite, the owner of Noreen and Friends’ Attic on 49th Street in Redwater,
has become a key figure in the community. Noreen bought her restaurant in 2001 and
operated it for 15 years until she closed it in 2016 due to personal family reasons. When
she reopened; she transformed her family-owned restaurant into a second-hand retail
space, offering affordable prices and a cozy bar seating area to encourage customers to
linger and socialize.
“I love my store,” Noreen explained and discussed how many times she put the
store up for sale or went to put it up, only to pull it off the market. “I’m having a hard time
letting go.” But the time has come, and Noreen Leite will be stepping back, although
still offering to stay on as staff and letting a new business owner take the reigns. She
discusses getting older and needing more time to live a little bit, visit family, and finally
take time for herself. While she was very tight-lipped about the new owner and the
business that will be added to the space, she assures future customers that there will
still be a second-hand retail space; the new business will be an addition to that.
Noreen and Friends Attic has been having massive inventory sales to clear out
stock. Currently, everything is reduced to half price. She encourages people to stop and
watch for upcoming sales and specials as she digs into the back of the storage rooms
and continually puts out new stuff. The store is currently open seven days a week:
Monday through Friday, 10-6, and Saturday through Sunday, 11-3.
The transition from Noreen Leite to the new owner will take place on August 15
and will be simple since the business is turn-key. While the change is bittersweet, the
time has come, and Noreen is excited for the next part of her life to unfold. And in case
anyone is concerned, Noreen and Friends Attic’s iconic ambassadors (the cats) can
stay!
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