Almost a half century after opening, longtime Wichita furniture store to close

Almost a half century after opening, Cherry Orchard Furniture & Kids Korner is closing.

Lynna Gowen and her father, Bill Hoeffner, purchased the business at 5215 W. Central just east of I-235 more than a dozen years ago.

“My dad is completely retiring, like out of everything,” Gowen says.

She says she had the opportunity to “buy him out and go it alone” or she could “basically retire with him.”

Gowen chose the latter.

“I’m not going to miss being married to retail,” she says.

Gowen says she will miss customers and working with family.

“That part’s going to be tough to give up,” she says.

“I’ve met a lot of good people over the years.”

Gowen says Marino Garci started the business 49 years ago.

“He started out of his garage.”

She believes that was with consignment pieces.

Gowen says the internet makes business harder these days.

“I really think it’s crazy that people buy stuff online, especially big-ticket items that they can’t see, touch and feel.”

Since Labor Day, business has improved, she says, and Gowen believes that’s due to the economy.

“I think things are for sure on the up and up.”

Gowen says she and her father did not try to sell the business.

“Usually people coming in to buy something like this don’t offer what it’s worth.”

Gowen is notifying customers of the closing this week and will start a going-out-of-business sale. The store will be open until everything goes.

“And then we’re done.”

Though she doesn’t know what she’ll do after closing, Gowen doesn’t think she’ll actually retire.

“I can’t not do something.”

This story was originally published January 22, 2019 at 5:00 AM.