Latest news RSS Feed
Print Story
E-mail StorySaba's Mens Store to reopen, focus on uniforms
| Monday, Mar 31 2008 5:27 PM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Apr 1 2008 7:20 AM
The Saba family business — three generations of haberdashers based in Old Town Kern — has closed pending a relocation and a sharper focus on selling uniforms.
Our readers recommend:
Loading Stories
The founder’s grandson, Gerry Saba, who owned and ran Saba’s Mens Store until its closure in December, said the new business will not sell to the general public. Instead, it will provide uniforms to law enforcement, medical workers and the U.S. Postal Service.
Saba said he has not finalized where the new business will be. He expects to open by mid-July with four employees, down from seven at the previous location.
“Everything’s on shutdown while we relocate,” Saba said.
The family does not plan to abandon Old Town Kern. Gerry Saba’s father, Jack Saba, owner of the building at 915 Baker St., where the business has operated since the 1950s, plans to lease out the 4,500-square-foot space whole or in part.
The Sabas provide law enforcement uniforms to agencies as far away as Nevada and San Diego. They sell to the Bakersfield Police Department as well as the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.
While uniforms have been a growing niche for the company for decades, the Baker Street storefront also sold civilian clothing.
Gerry Saba said he chose to close that portion of the business because the customer base has “shrunk a little bit over the years.”
When the business reopens, he said, it will have not only a new name but a new partner — John Heideman, owner of The Uniform Shop on California Avenue. Heideman plans to continue to run his shop while helping expand Saba’s offerings to include medical scrubs.
Saba’s customers and others with business inquiries were asked to call Gerry Saba at 203-1500. People interested in the 915 Baker St. address were asked to call his brother, Mike, at 203-8406.