Jeff Weiss wants to make the experience of buying jewelry for that special someone comfortable.
It’s a very comfortable place. Customers don’t feel like they’re customers. They feel like they’re friends, and that’s my goal, said Weiss, a lifetime Niskayuna resident and CEO of Glennpeter Jewelers Diamond Center, based in Colonie.
The new flagship store opened on Central Avenue in Colonie in November and has some unique features: it is the only jewelry store in the United States with a party room ` an idea Weiss’ daughter, Dayva, came up with ` and it is also the only jewelry store in New York State to have a liquor license. There is an in-store bar that serves wine, beer and other refreshments to customers to make their experience a little more enjoyable, with a plasma screen television in the background that is always on a sports channel. There’s also a gas fireplace with comfortable chairs seated around it where people can relax. Weiss serves sushi after 4 p.m. several nights a week for whoever wants to drop in for some Japanese food and a complimentary beverage.
But don’t worry ` the company’s goal isn’t to intoxicate you so that you buy more jewelry.
`I took the course from New York state on correctly running a bar and how to makes sure that everyone is carded. We limit the quantities [we serve] because we are a jewelry store,` said Weiss.
The inspiration for the in-store bar came from a trip that Weiss took to the Bahamas. He noticed that many of the jewelry stores had bars where they served wine to their customers. He liked this touch and wanted to bring it back to the area, so he did. Weiss invested over $5 million into his new flagship store.
`We built the store. It’s a tough time [for the economy], but we went ahead and we believe in this area,` said Weiss.
Weiss’ father, Nate Weiss, started Glennpeter Jewelers Diamond Center in 1950 in Schenectady. Today, the business is still in the family. Between its five stores (two are in Colonie, one is in Rotterdam, one is in Saratoga Springs and the last is in Clifton Park), Glennpeter Jewelers Diamond Center employees about 50 people locally.
`We’re doing great here,` said Weiss, who has worked for the business for over 30 years.
`I grew up in the business. I have an economics degree and I’m a graduate gemologist from Gemological Institute of America,` said Weiss. `I always knew [I wanted to be in the business] since I was a little kid.`
He started out by working in his family’s store at the Mohawk Mall in Rotterdam.
`I used to work that store because it was close to home,` said Weiss.
`It’s a family affair, honestly. My now-28-year-old son wanted a very comfortable place to hang out and my daughter wanted to use the birthday party room for her friends,` said Weiss of some of his store’s special features. He looked to family for their contributions and ideas.
`[My older brother] said that after he’s finished with his residency, then he wants to do something with this business, and my dad said that when he retires he wants me and my older brother to take it over,` said Dayva Weiss, Jeff’s daughter.
“
