ORINDA, Calif. (KRON) – After 35 years, a beloved small business in the East Bay is closing its doors. The owner of Edelweiss Tailoring and Cleaners in Orinda is retiring to spend more time with family.
Decked out in artwork, puppies and flowers, Edelweiss has been a community staple in downtown Orinda for more than three decades. The name Edelweiss comes from a flower in Switzerland.
“It means lucky, so why don’t we name it Edelweiss? That’s how the name came,” said owner Kilja Kim.
Kim, now 85, says she learned while traveling that edelweiss means nobel and white. It is a perfect name for a shop dedicated to customer service and delivering a perfectly clean and fitted shirt.
But after Friday, the shop will close its doors for good. Dozens of customers have been stopping by leaving thank you cards and flowers.
Orinda’s mayor is even giving Kim a certificate of recognition from the city.
“I don’t deserve all that, it’s too much. I just did my best for them and they did so much for me,” Kim said.
Kim says she opened the business in Orinda, hoping it would keep her family in the East Bay, the place she says has always felt like home. She says it was the people that made her feel special.
“One customer said ‘My child one time saw a lady on the street in Orinda in a jean dress and she ran up to her and gave her a big hug.’ Because she thought it was my mom, and it wasn’t, and the child got a big fright,” Kim’s daughter Peggy said.
The lady in the blue jean dress is Kim’s nickname because of her signature style and the warmth she pours into every piece of clothing she works on.
“Children, babies, I love them. I love the kids so that’s what makes me happy,” Kim said.
The shop will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to say one last goodbye.
