By PAUL SWIDER
ST. PETERSBURG – When Richard Berthelot took over the Badcock store a year ago, he committed himself to improving the business and the neighborhood. But the retired St. Petersburg police officer first had to learn this new way of work.
“There was a tremendous learning curve,” said Berthelot, 44, of his work at the store at 22nd Avenue S and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street. “There were some nights when I was just lying awake, but it’s getting better. I actually have an idea now of what I’m supposed to do.”
Berthelot is making good on his commitment now by working with the parent corporation to convert the store into a Badcock and More, a revamped version of the original furniture and appliance store that will give it a more comfortable feel and broader appeal.
“The key was coming in and learning the business,” he said.
“But now that I’ve gotten to a level where I feel comfortable, let’s get this thing done.”
Berthelot is investing about $200,000 of his own money on an inside-outside refurbishment that all Badcock stores are going through. In the end, he said, the store will have the same quality merchandise and personal service but will feel like the bigger box stores.
“It’s a new look to reach out into a different market,” he said of a conversion to a bold gray and red exterior that “will make a statement.”
Work started last week, Berthelot said, and contractor Coast to Coast Builders should have the interior done by mid July. The exterior should be finished in early August. The store is having a clearance sale to make way for the remodeling.
Badcock is converting all its stores in a similar manner, especially those owned by the corporate parent in Mulberry. But Berthelot sees the refurbishment of his franchise store as especially significant for the Midtown area.
“This new building is going to embellish the whole area,” he said. “I think this whole corridor is going to change. I’m kind of excited about it.”
Berthelot has said he felt a special relationship for the Badcock store in Midtown after it was burned in riots after a 1996 shooting of a young African-American man by police.
Berthelot was one of those who responded to the scene of the unrest. He has said he was impressed when white owner John Jaycox rebuilt and reopened.
Berthelot said business has been good in his first year, with sales exceeding the prior year by about 10 percent. He said the community has been very supportive of him, the first African-American owner of the business, although there is long and deep affection for Badcock in the neighborhood because Jaycox helped people buy on credit.
“The community response has been terrific,” said the Haitian-born Berthelot, who has lived in the area since 1988. “The community has to support its businesses as a way of improving the area.”
Berthelot had been a police officer for 13 years before leaving to take over the store. His wife is an accountant with her own business, but he said his three children work with him in the family business.
Paul Swider can be reached at 892-2271 or pswider@sptimes.com or by participating in itsyourtimes.com.
