Happy Place Gift Boutique now open in Rehoboth Beach

Looking to keep everything pretty much the same, Heather and Dominick Napolitano have opened Happy Place Gift Boutique on Rehoboth Avenue in the former M2 gift shop.

The couple took over the space Jan. 1 from the mother-and-daughter team of Meg Shivone and Meghan Fruchtman, who owned M2 for more than two decades.

Meghan and her mom had a good thing going, said Heather. Visitors and locals made a lot of memories when visiting their shop because of their great selection and style, she said, adding they’ve kept the same distributors and vendors that stocked the shelves of M2.

While the boutique has much of the same vibe as before, there will be some minor changes. They offer clothing for tween girls; they added a kids corner for entertainment while the adults shop; and they’ve added a few local artisans.

Heather said Meghan, a family friend, encouraged them to come up with a store name that was meaningful to their family. After thinking long and hard, the Napolitanos came up with Happy Place Gift Boutique.

The Cape Region has become their happy place, and they want to share that with the community, said Heather.

A couple of months into owning their first retail store, the Napolitanos said they’re still trying to figure out a few things, but the overall experience has been positive.

“It’s all still surreal,” said Heather. “We don’t have retail experience, but we have community experience.”

Happy Place Gift Boutique will be celebrating its grand opening Saturday, March 22. For now, the hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Monday. Beginning in April, the store will be open seven days a week. Once the summer season hits, the hours of operation will also increase. The boutique is accepting applications for summer help.

For more information on Happy Place Gift Boutique, 146 Rehoboth Ave., call 302-569-0295, email happyplacerehoboth@gmail.com or find the boutique’s Facebook page.