This Party’s a Hit: Interview with Ray Feola

Andrew Ferralli, staff writer

 

Dreams of owning a local business are common, some people take a shot at one and end up closing down. Then there are some local businesses that fit like a puzzle piece needed to complete the picture. The picture in this scenario is Charlottesville and that puzzle piece was Party Starts Here. Although this piece worked in various locations of the puzzle, 30 years later it has found a perfect fit.

“My Dad and George moved down here from New Jersey. They both were in the grocery business. They had an idea to open up a party store, they took a shot on it and its been pretty Successful,” said Ray Feola. Feola is the current owner of the local store Party Starts Here.

Ray’s father, Auggy Feola, created Party Starts with his friend George Elder back in 1988. “They started it back in 1988 down on the downtown mall actually, in a tiny store,” said Feola. Feola went on to say they had two locations over the years on the downtown mall. The company continued growing and moved into Seminole Square. “We were in a smaller store in Seminole Square where we are now. And then, about 15 years ago, we moved to the location we’re in now,” said Feola.

“Last year we did a big expansion that took on even more space,” he said. Feola was only a child in the earlier years of Party Starts Here, but he had the goal of one day taking over from his father. Feola’s siblings assisted with the store in varying degrees but did not plan on being the owner.

“I decided in high school that I was going to work there at the store and had planned to take it over. That was kind of when I made the decision, you know, I chose between going away to a four-year school or getting a two-year associate’s degree while getting the hands on experience, that’s where I made that decision,” Feola said.

“During that two years, I took a real hands-on approach with my dad and with George, really training with how they run the business day to day… I didn’t want to just sit there learning it all in the classroom and then try to apply it to real life; I liked having a mix of both. I was learning on the job while taking some business classes at Piedmont,” Feola said. George Elder is still an owner of the business today.

“So, it’s been kind of cool to see how it’s grown over the years, to start out as a tiny, tiny little balloon and simple party favors store to kind of the gigantic store than it is today,” said Feola. Over time as the store changed, so did the crazes. Feola said unicorns are the most popular party theme currently and that they were also a hit 10 years ago: “It’s ever changing so it keeps you on your toes.”

Party Starts Here’s most popular times of the year are Halloween and graduation. Ray said they do anything from custom invitations to balloons and everything in between. They keep the store up to date with current trends, recently including Etsy and Pinterest project supplies.

Party Starts Here is a brick and mortar store which can make it hard to compete with online companies like Amazon. Feola said, “We provide a customer service level to customers that, you know, you obviously can’t get online and we have competitive pricing as well.”

In addition to helping customers, Feola likes to give back to the community. Party Starts Here has donated money as well as sponsored various local youth sports. The store recently contributed to Northside Baseball League, which Feola played in as a child.

For over 25 years, Party Starts Here has been part of Charlottesville and continues to do so. If you need anything from unicorn headbands or masks, to graduation supplies Party Starts Heres got you covered.

So, the party actually started here in Charlottesville and, for Feola, continued at PVCC. Feola has his own family of four now, and who knows, maybe his children will one day take over the business, just as he did for his father.