Mia Cose Bella is Closing

In business at its West South Orange Avenue location since March 2007, Mia Cose Bella—which sells jewelry, fine art, pottery, glassware and more—will close its doors to customers on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Owner Lisa Murray says she intends to keep the business going online and through private house parties. Ultimately, she'd like to find a new space in South Orange—either on her own or sharing with another business.

Her decision to close the current location came down to several factors, including the drop-off in foot traffic on West South Orange Avenue since The Orange Tree and, most recently, Commuter Comics closed. While it might not be obvious that her shop would have a synergy with a comic book store, she's noticed a slow-down on Saturday and Sunday mornings since January.

"We could count on a decent amount of foot traffic just based on kids going to the comic book store and parents coming in here," she said.

Murray also observed that redevelopment plans for the Beifus site and the parcel at Church St. and South Orange Ave.—which were a big draw for locating her business on West South Orange Avenue, containing the promise of making it into a shopping destination—haven't come to fruition and made it hard to justify paying premium rent. She'd also like to find a space with an office to keep her 4-year-old son out of the landscape of the store when he's there.

But while she's scoped out space elsewhere and even found a location in Millburn with significantly more square footage and lower rent than she currently pays, Murray remains committed to keeping her business in South Orange, where she lives, and being part of a thriving downtown here.

"I would like to see the South Orange that I envisioned," she said.