Kharmah boutique closing after 30 years in Greenport

Veronica Kaliski and Tom Byrne made their way into Kharmah on Wednesday afternoon, hoping to catch the owner before the boutique permanently closes on Saturday.

They did, and took the time to explain to the owner, Linda Gerien, how much her shop would be missed after 30 years in Greenport.

“This was the only store of its kind in 25, 35 miles that has up-to-date, modern, funky clothes for the woman in Greenport and Southold,” Ms. Kaliski said with a solemn smile on her face.

Kharmah wasn’t Ms. Gerien’s first experience in the business world. She had a shop, Fandango, in Hampton Bays that opened in 1982, which sold a mix of vintage, new and unique clothing. Fandango remained open for a decade, until she sold it, and then opened up a shop in Eastport, which only lasted two years.

Ms. Gerien, 82, first opened Kharmah in 1995, in a tiny spot by Stirling Square. She was only there for about a year and a half before moving to the spot she’s been in ever since, 123 Main St. Back when she first moved there, rent was around $850 a month.

“In 1995, [Greenport] was still a destination, but nothing like it is now,” she said. “Greenport was a resort area. It was up and coming, and the rents were reasonable. I was able to open the business for relatively little money.”

Moving to the new, larger spot on Main Street was a little nerve-racking, but the community really turned out for her, she remembered. Her first day there, she brought in around $2,500 in sales. 

She enjoyed great success over the last three decades. There have also been tough times — for both the store and community — throughout the years. Ms. Gerien remembers customers coming in toward the end of 2001 who lost people in the Sept. 11 attacks, or even worked at the Twin Towers but took that day off. 

The hardest times for her, though, was during COVID and in 2008 during the Great Recession. 

“I thought I might have to close. It was devastating, especially for small businesses,” she said. “I did almost go under. I was able to recoup, but I never was able to have that momentum that I had when I first opened.”

Kharmah typically had two full-time employees, sometimes getting help from her daughter, Jennifer. For the last decade, Ms. Gerien and her husband, Mike, have primarily been living in Brooklyn, although they do also have a home in East Moriches.

Jennifer now runs a Kharmah-inspired boutique in Brooklyn called Lily. Greenporters can still go there to get their Kharmah fix. 

With Ms. Gerien mostly in Brooklyn nowadays, Chris Hudson, the store’s manager, has been running things.

“Amazing women have walked through our little door,” Ms. Hudson said in a letter. “This was not just a shop; it was a gathering place of sisterhood. We celebrated weddings and births together. We grieved each other’s losses and comforted each other through sickness. We raged about politics, soothed with wisdoms and, best of all, we laughed together. That was Kharmah.”

With this chapter coming to a close, Ms. Gerien noted the difficulties facing new business owners today.

“A young person would not be able to open a store today without a massive amount of money,” she said. “With the increase in rents, with the increase in the price of merchandise, it’s really hard for younger people. I was so fortunate that I was able to open businesses.”