Looking good
After Dark Tuxedos takes customer-friendly approach
09:30 AM CDT on Sunday, April 30, 2006
By Todd Jorgenson / Staff Writer
They haven't yet turned 30, but Michael Burk and Christy Henderson have each been in the tuxedo industry for more than a decade.
Michael Burk and Christy Henderson, owners and operators of After Dark Tuxedos, opened their location on the square in Denton about a year ago.
DRC/Barron Ludlum
That's long enough to spot one similarity between tuxedo stores and other types of business — the steady decline in the emphasis on old-fashioned customer service in today's corporate-dominated world.
So when the duo decided to open their own retail tuxedo shop in Denton last year, they knew that the little touches could be what separates it from the chain-store competition.
For After Dark Tuxedos, that means keeping an entire inventory of men's formal wear warehoused onsite. It also includes the flexibility of both Burk and Henderson to offer personal assistance with last-minute wedding or prom fashion arrangements.
"We felt there was the need for the type of service that we could give," Henderson said. "We wanted to be able to offer what they couldn't offer at a franchise."
Their customer-friendly approach has given steady business to the 2,200-square-foot location on the downtown Square as it heads into its second busy spring of weddings and proms.
"We all carry the same thing," Burk said. "All these tuxedos come from the same place. It all comes down to service."
Burk and Henderson each worked for several years for the Gingiss Formalwear chain, where they rose through the management ranks. Both held managerial positions at the Denton location, which closed in January 2004 after the company filed for bankruptcy.
Burk, who worked in the marketing and merchandising departments, said he and Henderson thought about branching out on their own when the closure of the Denton store was imminent.
But he harbors no ill will for his former employer. Gingiss, he said, gave him all of the expertise he needed to begin his first joint entrepreneurial venture.
"They took care of us," Burk said of Gingiss. "If they were still in business, I wouldn't be here."
Still, starting the only independent tuxedo store in Denton was quite a risk for two business partners with a combined age of 57. Fortunately, both are children of business owners.
Each also has local ties, having attended the University of North Texas. That connection helped to breed the store's community involvement, which includes partnering with the Denton Independent School District. For each prom tuxedo rented, After Dark donates $5 back to the student's high school.
The Hickory Street store remains open well into the evenings most nights, especially during the spring, to accommodate the after-school crowd. Many prom rentals this spring have been return customers.
Burk started in the tuxedo business at age 16, working part-time cleaning shoes during the busy prom season in Amarillo. He said the passion he and Henderson have for their business has helped it compete successfully in its first year with larger and more established chains.
The After Dark duo hopes to open a second store location in the next year or two, likely staying away from the big city in favor of smaller communities.
"I think that's where we fit in more, rather than the big cities," Burk said.
Burk also plans to establish a network of independent tuxedo dealers to exchange merchandise when necessary, although he claims the store can order any item that's available in a catalog if a local customer wants it.
Burk said he and Henderson, as the only two employees, focus on building relationships with customers, and know many by name. That personal attention has not gone unnoticed. And it gives both owners optimism that a strong first year will lead to a promising future.
"It gives you pride in what you do," Henderson said. "It's important that people see us as someplace they want to go."
TODD JORGENSON can be reached at 940-566-6878. His e-mail address is tjorgenson@dentonrc.com |
