By Izabella De La Rosa 

Flamingo Thrift and Antiques Mall will be closing on March 30 after being sold by the owner of the building. Flamingo Antiques has been in Riverside for 20 years. The store has been bought out and will be turned into a restaurant.

Tonie Palacios is the CEO of Flamingo Antiques. Palacios has been maintaining Flamingo Antiques and creating connections with customers. 

Palacios discovered the store was being sold after a company already purchased the building. 

“I didn’t have a chance to bid on it,” Palacaios said. “It was a surprise.”

Sherry Corn, a distributor that rents space at the antique store, doesn’t think a restaurant will be profitable in the area. Corn refers to the area as “antique row.”

The loss of Flamingo Antiques isn’t felt just by the employees but the community as well. People over the years have been bringing their families to look around and come together at the shop. Customers are devastated about the news and continue to come in and ask Palacios to sign items from the store. 

Palacio’s biggest concern is where her employees will go next. Flamingo Thrift and Antiques is home to over 20 distributors selling their vast collections of home decor, clothing, collectibles, and many more. Certain distributors even sell their personal items, coming in often to maintain their designated area. With distributors discounting their products, the business hopes to sell as many items as possible to make the transition easier. However, Palacio is worried about employees whose sales at the store are their main source of income. 

Palacio’s husband Phil Roth continues to support her until the last day of being in business. “Getting my wife to adjust to not having the store after 20 years will be the most difficult part,” Roth said. The news has yet to fully impact Palacios but knows the businesses’ last day will be the hardest. 

The Flamingo Thrift and Antique employees are optimistic for what’s in store for them and see it as a new beginning. The employees are at the thrift store almost everyday but with the store closing they now look forward to spending time with their loved ones.

 Roth wishes the best for other stores in the area.

“Just be nice to the customers,” Roth said. “Have fun. That’s what we try to do.”