Chamber ribbon-cutting marks iconic shop reopening
She Sells Sea Shells turned a tongue-twister and Sanibel’s shelling reputation into a family-owned and -operated business in 1976. After opening more stores on the islands — up to five at one point — the iconic shell shop brand suffered from Hurricane Ian, but it has reopened its flagship shop on Sanibel. A SanCap Chamber ribbon-cutting on Dec. 7 dedicated the occasion.
“The Joffe family are proud to have a positive impact on Sanibel Island,” Tamara Joffe said. “Giving back to the community is a core value of She Sells Sea Shells and has been an ongoing practice for its 48-plus successful years on Sanibel.”
Anne Joffe, the “she” in She Sells Sea Shells, and her husband, David, originally founded the store. They and their son Michael, store co-owner/manager, and daughter Tamara currently operate it as they continue its restoration following severe damage from wind and 5 feet of flood water.
“We put up metal storm shutters in the front glass, windows and door before we evacuated, and the force of the water broke the glass and pushed shells out from under the metal into the parking lot,” Tamara Joffe said. “We had wind and water damage in the back wall of our upstairs office that caused water to pour through the ceiling in the back of our store, and the ceiling came down.”
Their warehouse off-island also flooded, and the family laundered and donated much of their clothing stock. While restoring the Periwinkle Way shop on their own, they unofficially opened to the public for the Fourth of July, due to the curiosity of visitors who were stopping by.
“(Restoration) was a daunting task, and a symbol of hope for our family and the community,” Michael Joffe said. “People tell us every day how it inspires them, and encourages other businesses to reopen. We were committed to continuing on and reopening for our employees, who all expressed interest in returning.”
“We are so happy to formally welcome She Sells She Shells back to the islands,” chamber President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai said. “It just wouldn’t be Sanibel without the Joffe family providing this iconic opportunity to buy seashells, jewelry, books, craft supplies, novelties and, especially this time of year, their treasured Christmas ornaments.”
She Sells Sea Shells is at 1157 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel.