Popular menswear shop Master Debonair saved as new owners take over
“We’ll still be giving people the same sharp tailoring and customer service they love,” say the new owners at Master Debonair.
There were concerns for the future of the menswear shop, one of the few independents of its kind in the North East, when it closed its doors for a week last month after the previous owners went into insolvency.
But business partners who were already fans of the brand have brought the business, kept all the staff and have the shop in East Boldon back open.
David Lyttle and Gary McGuff already have success in the field with their Masuit store in The Wirral and knew of Master Debonair through trade shows.
“We want to reassure people the customer experience and sharp tailoring will be the same,” said new co-owner David. “We knew the concept of Master Debonair and what it was and as soon as we heard the news, we knew it was a business we wanted to take on. The staff here are so great, too.”
David added: “We’ll be making some changes to the brands stocked and stepping away from the Peaky Blinders look, introducing some lighter, single blazers from the likes of Paul Andrew and Cavani.
“It’s the sharp tailoring customers here love, but it doesn’t always have to be a full suit. It can be more casual for dinners whilst also stocking suits for weddings and race days, which is what people love here.”
With a closure sign going up in the window of the shop in Station Road last month, some customers who’d ordered or hired suits for events were panicking, but staff were able to work through, and fulfill, all orders.
There’s been a number of closures in the South Tyneside village recently including Station Espresso, which has put up a sign saying it’s closed indefinitely, Wisteria Kitchen and Volare, with other businesses switching to an online offering instead of instore.
The closures led to East Boldon resident and co-owner of village business Blacks Corner, Jonny Dryden, to issue a rallying cry for people to support their independents who add so much vibrancy to the community.
“No one wants to see another shop close, so we’re glad we’ve been able to keep this one going,” said David. “The response from customers has been great since we announced we were taking over.”
The private showroom upstairs at Master Debonair also remains, as well as its alterations service from its in house seamstress and popular suit hire service.
Its online operation also remains as is.
*Master Debonair, East Boldon, is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday, Saturdays from 9am to 5pm and Sundays from 10am to 4pm.