Paint Store Colors Park Ridge Since 1957

The old-school “Park Ridge Paint and Glass Co.” sign has been affixed above the entrance at 737 Devon Avenue since the store opened -- the building actually designed for a paint store -- in 1957.

But unlike the famed Wrigley Field marquee, which was painted red after once existing as a rust/brown edifice, the sign isn’t changing colors anytime soon – in keeping with the tradition that washes over the storefront.

“It kind of shows the longevity of the business,” said Dan Galuska, the second-generation proprietor of Park Ridge Paint and Glass. “It’s an old porcelain sign. It still has its original shine to it. At this point, we’re not painting it.”

Amid all the changes in their business, including the return to bold colors from the safe off-white décor of decades ago, continuity is the order of the day for Galuska’s business.

Dave Galuska, the father, managed the store from the late 1960s forward, eventually buying the business from the old Epco paint store chain in 1983. Wife Dorothy teamed up with her husband. And on Day 2 of Galuska family ownership, Dan started full-time, missing Day 1 because he had to help a friend move. The store is the oldest continuous family-run operation in the Devon business district, they say.

Dave and Dorothy Galuska are still found behind the counter or walking the cozy aisles with customers, while Dan does a lot of the heavy lifting in management.

“Obviously, we’re very proud of it,” Dan Galuska said of the continuity. “We’re a true mom-and-pop business. We have to give credit to the community, too, for supporting local business. It’s been a lot of hard work.”

Boss started on Day 2 and stayed on

Dan Galuska is self-taught in the paint business, learning on the job while working part-time in high school and college. His major was communications. “I figured I’d work in the paint store until I found a job in my selected field,” he said. “I guess I’m still looking…or stopped looking.”

The Galuskas had to compete with bigger stores from the beginning. Like other small businesses, they emphasize customer service and one-on-one relationships. Dorothy Galuska, for instance, is known as the wallpaper expert, so she handles a slew of repeat business.

“We know a lot of our customers by name,” said Dan Galuska. “We keep a database of the colors they’ve purchased. I just had a gentleman say he needed the paint he used for his daughter’s room 12 years ago. We went to the database and, sure enough, the information was there.”

Like any other retailer, the paint business evolved. The store’s main Benjamin Moore line has 3,300 different colors – a staggering total unthinkable back in 1983.  Consumer tastes also changed, sometimes in unpredictable ways.

“Before, someone asks for Benjamin Moore, you grab a can of paint, that was it,” Dan Galuska said. “There are more niche products.  When we started, we had a cash register, a calculator and one phone line. Now we have a half-dozen computers.

Darker colors now popular

“They keep coming up with new color palettes. You have some crisp and clean colors that are popular. It used to be light and airy (popular colors). Now, people are going historical colors, deeper gray colors." 

Galuska’s own house reflects the trend. Twenty years ago, he changed the brown walls to an off-white color. Now the walls are pretty much back to the brown color.

“Trends change,”  he said.  “It’s cyclical. Before you know it, lighter colors will be back.”

Another throwback to  mid-20^th century retailing are Park Ridge Paint and Glass’ business hours.

The store opens at 8:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Closing time is 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and Fridays, and 5 p.m. Saturday. Hours are extended to 8 p.m. Thursdays in the tradition of old-time retailing, where stores typically had one or two weeknights (most often Mondays, too) in which they were open late to accommodate 9-to-5 workers.

On Sundays, the Galuskas rest, re-charging for another week as a staple of Park Ridge small business.