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- Photos by Himma Sharma
The star of the day wasn’t there in person, but her spirit was alive and well on Gerard
Street Saturday as Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki of “The Jersey Shore,” opened her newest fashion boutique shop in in downtown Huntington.
Fans were lined up at the doors starting at 5 am waiting to shop and take pictures.
Kira Osborne, Melissa Ruvinov, and Doreen Bitton arrived at the shop together a little
before 10 am, as they walked in the cold air and down two blocks to the back of the line.
“We’re willing to wait a long time, hours if needed to be a part of the grand opening,” Bitton said.
Despite freezing temperatures, all three girls were smiling from ear to ear waiting to be
let in. “I’m praying [Snooki’s] here, but even if she isn’t I’m super excited,” Osborne said.
Ruvinov was even dressed as Snooki in her signature mark, cheetah print. “I can’t wait to shop and buy as much merchandise as I can,” Ruvinov said.
The first 100 people who visited the shop received a goodie bag with coupons for town
businesses and the first 100 customers who made a purchase received a reusable pink Snooki Shop tote bag.
Hors d’oeuvres, dessert, and glasses of champagne were offered to the customers as they took pictures in front of the “The Snooki Shop New York” wall and the “Party Here” balloons.
Though Snooki didn’t show up, she showed her support and thanks all day with her
Instagram story posts and reposts of the fans who made it to the grand opening. Many people in line seemed very disappointed and some walked off and left. However, the majority of people waiting in line were still excited to see her boutique and buy merchandise.
It was a very long day for store manager Gina Cecala and real estate agent Amanda
Nunziato.
“It was worth it at the end of the day. It was all about having to work together and get
everything set up with all the items and inventory and we had contractors help us this time around,” Cecala said.
Despite the time and effort it took, Cecala and Nunziato worked together to renovate the store from the ground up. “This has been in the works for a while and I hope we chose the right location. Thankfully for Amanda, we found this place and the turnout so far is
amazing. I hope it continues to grow,” Cecala said.
The Snooki Shop offers a variety of clothes made for people from ages 16 to 45 including
clothing, accessories, and a fan favorite, the infamous “Where’s the beach” towels for purchase and as of February 24, now open for business.
This is Snooki’s third store. She has two other locations in – where else? — New Jersey. She closed her store in her hometown in Beacon to relocate to Huntington.
Himma Sharma is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s
School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.
Photos by Himma Sharma