WORTHINGTON -- Noemi Mena used to be the go-to gal whenever her friends wanted to celebrate a special event.
"I really like to make handicrafts like gifts, centerpieces, party invitations," she explained in Spanish. "We thought about opening a store so more people than just my friends could buy my things."
She and husband Juan Carlos Morales did just that, opening Mena's Gifts & More at 924 Fifth Ave. in early January.
The couple, who are both from Mexico, soon saw that their store, a gift shop offering services to Spanish speakers, could meet an unfilled need in the community.
Mena speaks both English and Spanish, a service other gift shops in town may not be able to offer, she said.
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"Many people don't speak English. (They wouldn't) be able to go to the store and place specific orders or explain in Spanish, 'I want something this way or that way.' So that's the idea," she said. "It doesn't matter that we may have the same things as other stores, but that (we ) speak Spanish."
The store sells gifts: jewelry, purses, watches, hair accessories, perfume, balloons, even candy. Gift-wrapping services are also offered, as well as invitations, party favors and centerpieces for any occasion.
Inside the store is a wall of jewelry, including the matching earring and necklace sets Mena said are her most popular items. Two more walls display balloon-topped plastic boxes that hold a variety of stuffed animals and carry various messages.
Mena makes many of the items herself, including baby gift baskets and diaper cakes --multitier stacks of rolled diapers topped with curled pastel ribbon.
She hopes to expand her inventory selection in the coming months.
"We're going to have more centerpieces, for whomever. For the kids, if they want a Dora the Explorer-themed party, we can do everything, from the candies to the party favors, the centerpieces."
Mena admits she is still getting things in order, but plans to have an official opening soon through the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce.
The cold weather has put a bit of a damper on business, she said, but added, "For the time we've been here, it's gone well."
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Mena's Gifts & More is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The phone number is 360-4109
