By Melissa Landeros
Photos Virginia Tieman
What started, as chasing a store on wheels all around San Francisco has now become a simple muni ride downtown to The Crocker Galleria, which is the permanent home for Christina Ruiz’s mobile boutique.
The TopShelf Style boutique’s pop-up shop opened in February because at the time Ruiz, said there were not a lot of “fashion truck friendly events.” It was a slow season for the truck so she figured she had nothing to lose.
The pop-up which was only supposed to be open for a month turned into 2 and a half months. Meanwhile Ruiz was approached with the opportunity of owning her store which is now located on the second floor of The Crocker Galleria. Now just about a year after starting the fashion truck Ruiz’s dream of finally owning both a “brick and mortar” shop has become a reality.
Ruiz and her team had been working day in and day out to prepare for the launching of the store. She had gone on numerous buying trips for merchandise, furniture, and even purchasing small detailed items like doorknobs. Ruiz said, “Getting the store ready had been a collaborative process and a true labor of love.”
Ruiz remained located in the pop-up shop up until the official opening of her boutique which was May 6th. She said having been in the pop-up up until the opening of her store helped a lot, because she was able to talk to frequent customers about the launch.
The May 9th launch party for TopShelf Boutique was an utter success. Ruiz said, “I was overwhelmed by the amount of love.” There was a lot of support for TopShelf Boutique from frequent shoppers to Ruiz team which also included her brother David Ruiz, who mixed free drinks for guest the night of.
Ruiz said, “I want the TopShelf brand to turn into more than just a local business.” She hopes to expand in years to come and she is motivated to grow her online business. Ruiz wants her presence to be known in a wider range.
While her fashion truck will still be in motion around SF, shoppers now have easier access when shopping for the one of kind affordable merchandise TopShelf Boutique offers in store. Ruiz said, “We will have more space to carry a wider variety, some limited at first, more well known brand names, and eventually some shoes!”
Ruiz will continue to hit the streets of San Francisco in her truck but primarily on weekends and the TopShelf Boutique will be open Monday through Friday from 10am to 6pm.
