Children's Orchard in San Juan Capistrano Closes

After five years of owning Children’s Orchard, Debbie Brown has closed the younger-skewed consignment shop.

One of the reasons is that business has been down since construction at the Ortega Highway interchange and the I-5 Freeway began, Brown said. But she also had issues with the franchiser and the landlord.

It just got to be too much.

“Once the construction started on the Ortega my sales dropped to the point that I wasn’t breaking even. I wasn’t willing to cut my staff and work open to close. Been there, done that,” Brown said.

Those employees and her customers made the decision hard, Brown said. Everyone was so close.

“I have had so many e-mails and voicemails that were so touching,” she said. “I feel like I really let the community down by closing. There is definitely a need for a business like that in the community.”

However, a nonprofit may be the better operation “so the clothing is donated and that would cut the overhead,” Brown said.

You will still see Brown around, though. She lives in San Juan Capistrano off Ortega, so you might just see her stuck in traffic.

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