One year ago today an unexpected storm blew threw Tallahassee and caused a tree to crash on Quarter Moon. The tree may have left an open wound in the store’s roof, but it also created questions and uncertainty among the QM staff and community. Would the fallen tree mark the end of Quarter Moon, a 26 year-old Tallahassee staple? Or would QM grow from the event stronger than ever?
“I will never forget driving up to Quarter Moon moments after a huge old pine tree came crashing down on our little cottage shop. It was a moment that changed the course of our business and also the lives of all of us who work at Quarter Moon,” Wendy Halleck, QM owner said.
After a night of chaos of shoving merchandise into boxes and once the tree was removed, we were able to assess the true damage. The QM staff spent a few days packing the remaining products to keep in storage. Once everything was moved out, the store felt like a clean slate.
While QM was closed for just under 40 days due to the reconstruction of the store’s roof and interior, various pop-up shops were organized around the Midtown area to help keep the business afloat. None of us could forget the first pop-up shop at Krewe de Gras, where the support from the community was prevalent and everyone’s hopes were upbeat. After 2 more pop ups at Lucy and Leos Cupcakery and the Manor at Midtown, NAI TALCOR generously gave us a temporary store front at Capital Plaza until we could reopen at Lake Ella. Their gift of a temporary place for Quarter Moon to call home kept us going and kept us all employed!
“I definitely would not want to go through it again, but in so many ways, I am profoundly grateful for that experience. That time was filled with many daily challenges and what seemed like endless hours of very strenuous labor,” Halleck said. “Most impactful however, was experiencing the outpouring of community support and the deepened relationships between all of us at the shop as we picked up the pieces and put them back together.”
August 8th we were finally home again. The store reopened with a fresh coat of paint, new merchandise, sturdy support beam, a different layout, but with the same spirit and vibe we’ve all come to love. Without the community’s support, QM would not be standing tall today.
“I am forever indebted to my family, our loyal customers, our landlady Ginny Chandler, the Tallahassee business community, and most especially the powerful, spirited women I work with at Quarter Moon who always said ‘YES, we can do this!’” Halleck said.
To commemorate this unforeseen, yet rewarding experience, the QM staff plans to keep the store with them forever by getting quarter moon tattoos next week. Stay tuned for another blog post featuring the QM ladies ink!
We want to thank the Tallahassee community for rallying with us and helping Quarter Moon continue to be a staple in the city. We couldn’t have asked for a better tribe.
© Quarter Moon Imports
