Last month, the Garden City Chamber of Commerce welcomed the iconic 152-year old H. L. Gross & Bro. Jewelers to their new home at 840 Franklin Ave., across the street from their former landmark home which they had occupied since l968. The interior of the new shop (next to CVS Pharmacy) is spacious and there is plenty of parking in the rear of the store. H.L. Gross & Bro.—a true family business—has been a member of the chamber since 1968 when they moved to Garden City from Hempstead. Howard Gross served as president of the chamber from l974-75. Son Michael is the current proprietor and has been honored as “Business Person of the Year” by the chamber and by the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce in 2000. Gross’ grandson Brad, a GIA Graduate Gemologist and AGS-certified Gemologist-oversees the diamond business with sales manager Christina Dellaaccio.
The chamber also welcomed A New Leaf Tea Emporium to 152 Seventh St. where this specialized shop has been operating for several months. A New Leaf offers over 70 varieties of fine black, oolong, and green loose-leaf teas as well as rooibos and herbal tisanes for the tea connoisseur and tea novice alike. The Orlics offer tea tastings and monthly tea services that “refine the palate” while private parties (both on and off-site make for a memorable event. Trained staff has the expertise to educate customers about the benefits of tea and provide instructions on how to steep the perfect pot. A New Leaf’s suppliers are certified organic and/or members of the Ethical Tea Partnership, the Tea Association of the USA and Specialty Tea Institute, and have won awards at the World Tea Expo. Guests at the 4th annual “Tea” for Garden City seniors and past parents of Garden City High School graduates, sponsored by the Garden City Public Schools and Garden City PTA, were treated to hand-packaged teas at the event provided by Kim Orlic along with a talk on the benefits and preparation of tea.
