By Kate Bartlett
The beloved Tee Bar Shop, located at 8 Washington Street in the village of Ellicottville, recently came under new ownership and will soon hold a new name: Anzivino’s. After 7 years in business, Kim Reading and Dina DiPasquale handed over the keys to fellow female businesswomen Noelle, Olivia and Kay Anzivine on September 9th. The women plan to continue to offer ice cream and Ellicottville apparel, but with some fresh ideas and new boutique appeal.
Sisters Noelle (25) and Olivia (27) grew up in Olean, graduating from Olean High School and have always had a close relationship. Along with their mom, Kay, they contributed to their father’s family
business, Swatts Bakery, producer of the local favorite LA Cinnamon Bread. With enthusiastic energy and entrepreneurial spirit, the duo decided to launch a swimwear line during the pandemic. “We were stuck at home, so we figured, why not?”, recalls Noelle. Three years later, Makai Swim has become a well-known label across the country, and the sisters frequently travel to fashion weeks around the country to gain inspiration and showcase their swimsuits. “We love fashion and traveling so it’s a great fit for us. We just finished up some shows in Miami and Tampa and NYC, and we have an upcoming fashion show in Dallas on September 28th.”
Currently, their swimwear is only available online, but Noelle and Olivia had been awaiting the right opportunity to sell in a shop. “Our dad is friends with the Ellicottville mayor, who mentioned the Tee Bar was looking for new ownership,” says Noelle. “Olivia and I were excited about the opportunity and decided to go for it. We’ve always loved ice cream, and we have a lot of ideas for the shop.”
Noelle and Olivia plan to continue to sell ice cream, with a few other surprise sweet treats soon to be announced. During the fall months, they’ll be selling apple cider slushies with a (literal) twist of vanilla ice cream, and in the winter, they plan to offer a full hot chocolate bar and other seasonal sweets.
Anzivino’s will carry boutique apparel, including Ellicottville logo apparel and merchandise, as well as their swimwear line. The girls are looking forward to designing Ellicottville clothing and bringing a fresh new look to the community. “We plan to continue to carry Ellicottville merch, but we’re bringing our own new spin. We look forward to sharing with the community and hope it is well received!”
The girls have been hard at work giving the shop a new look, a fresh aesthetic appeal. “We’re working with an interior designer to figure out the vibe, but the front will be pink, because we just love that color. We’re pink girls at heart,” comments Olivia. They’re looking forward to participating in the year-round events of the Ellicottville community, and already have plans for fall fest. “We’re so excited to take part in this and we can’t wait to open our doors.”
Noelle and Olivia keep each other motivated and continue to inspire each other. Their energetic spirit and passion for life shines in everything they do. The pair also has a podcast (Sister Side Quests), YouTube channel, and are active on all social media platforms. “We’re just inspired by life and we want to share that with the world. We love documenting our stories and have been posting our journey of opening Anzivino’s almost every day.”
“We’re so lucky to have each other,” says Olivia. “Noelle is my partner in crime, my built in BFF, and business partner. With my sister by my side, I can do anything. She keeps me grounded but inspires me every day.”
The girls are thankful for former owners, Kim and Dina, who have helped make the ownership change a smooth transition. “Not only have they been so friendly and kind, but they’re mentors to us. We look up to them as female business owners; they’re incredible.”
For more information visit website, follow their new venture on social media @Anzivinos on insta-gram. Listen to their podcast or follow along their journey, “Side Sister Quests” on all platforms such as Spotify, Youtube, and Apple. Stop into Anzivino’s, which will be open soon, at 8 Washington street. Watch for Grand Opening events on Facebook @ Anzivino’s and read upcoming articles in The Villager.