By Kate Bartlett
Owners of Purple Doorknob in Ellicottville, NY, Rachel Northrup McGee and Scotty McGee, are excited to announce the opening of a new location in the Elmwood Village this Spring. Longtime manager Nikki Himes will be managing the new Buffalo location and is officially signing on as a third owner. All are excited for this new chapter, and to connect with shoppers in the Buffalo region.
The original location of Western New York’s premier sock shop opened on Monroe Street in Ellicottville 16 years ago as an antique shop offering a small selection of novelty socks. The socks were very popular and, eventually, they took over the store. By 2011 the store carried exclusively socks and Rachel purchased the business in 2015. By 2020 it was time for its first expansion. The store moved into the current location at 11 Washington Street, more than doubling its size and capacity in order to best meet customer needs. Now, the shop is ready for another expansion from EVL to the EV (Elmwood Village) in Buffalo.
Nikki has been working at Purple Doorknob for over 7 years in various roles and has been manager of the Ellicottville location since 2020. “Nikki is our sock-ordering expert,” says Rachel. “She has always appreciated the concept of the store and is dedicated to her work here. Nikki is connected to the business and always showed potential in taking on a higher role.”
Rachel and Scotty always envisioned expanding Purple Doorknob but didn’t have a definite plan on when and how. “Nikki came to us with the perfect location in The Elmwood Village of Buffalo, and everything else just started falling into place.”
The Buffalo location will carry a similar selection of socks as the Ellicottville location, but also lean into other categories. “We’re looking forward to bringing in new brands and a wider variety for our shoppers, including some brand-new categories that we don’t currently offer,” says Scotty. The shop will feature adults, kids, and baby sizes, as well as Buffalo Bills themed socks for sports fans.
The new location at 144 Elmwood Ave used to be Campus Wheelworks, fortuitously located just a few shops down from Watson’s chocolates, as it is in Ellicottville as well. “When I saw Watson’s was just down the street from us in Buffalo as it is in Ellicottville, it felt almost serendipitous.” Nestled right in between Everything Elmwood and Queen City Vintage, The Purple Doorknob will be in great company.
The Elmwood concept will be similar to that of the current EVL location, with 18-foot-high tin ceilings, bright natural light and, of course, purple accents throughout. The Buffalo building is also historic, having been built in 1911, and will boast a large purple doorknob outside the shop, just like the current location.
The team all agreed that Elmwood fits the vibe for their expansion. “The foot traffic in the Elmwood Village is great, and it carries that laid back, relaxed feeling we’re looking for. The shops in the area are eclectic and attract a wide variety of shoppers. We’re looking forward to being a part of this community and getting involved in the festivals here throughout the seasons.”
Grand opening celebrations are anticipated for later this Spring, and will be announced on their social media pages @ Purple Doorknob BFLO and on Facebook and @purpledoorknob.bflo on IG.