Framing Waltham Is Labor Of Love

When Vincent Caira was out of a job in 1998, he knew nothing about the framing business.  But 13 years after purchasing the store, the owner of s on Moody Street says his shop is buzzing with customers.

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve been constantly busy,” said Caira, who performs all of the framing work at the store.  “I’ve been pretty fortunate to be busy.”

Located in the heart of the city’s retail district, Frugal Framer frames pictures, diplomas and other items. The Waltham resident said he bought the store because he was out of work and needed to find a job. He saw that the store had been put up for sale by the previous owner, and jumped on the opportunity.           

For Caira, who had no prior framing experience, the new job was a professional fresh start. The prior owner had been scheduled to train Caira for two weeks prior to her departure. Caira, however, never had a chance to learn much.  The prior owner bolted after only three days of teaching, Caira said.

Caira appears to be successful in his endeavor. At the front desk, he has notes from many different clients scattered under a glass layer. 

“I have another book of them as well,” Caira said.  “I just don’t know where to put them.” 

According to comments on Yelp.com – a website that reviews businesses – Caira has earned Frugal Framer a five-star rating for quickly fulfilling customer needs. Manufacturing creative frames has helped Frugal Framer blossom over the years, Caira said.

“I love coming to work and staying busy,” said Caira.  “You get a paycheck, but I enjoy what I’m doing, the people that come here.

Caira’s dedication is evident in his customers’ words. Richard, a frequent customer at Frugal Framer, said he was pleased with Caira’s work. 

“He’s good, he’s reasonably fast,” said Richard. “He’s very experienced and knows what he’s doing.”

Despite the success, Caira said he sometimes struggles with certain aspects of the job.

“Trying to make the customer happy, and doing good work at a fair price [can be difficult],” Caira said. 

Despite the store’s success, Caira said he doesn’t have plans to expand the business he has owned since 1998, citing his age as the reason. That doesn’t stop him from enjoying his time at his shop, though.           

“I’d say 99 percent of people in the past 13 years have been happy here,” Caira said.

At least for the foreseeable future, Caira plans to keep dedicating himself to the store he loves. Proof of that — sometimes Caira allows customers in before the store opens.

“I’m here from 6:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. during the week, and here four hours on Sunday.  The only day I have off is Monday,” said Caira.