The Grey Colt bids farewell to Hudson as boutique moves to Philadelphia after 64 years

After 64 years in Hudson, The Grey Colt is galloping away Saturday, bound for a new adventure.

Owner Julie Kalis decided to move the women's boutique clothing store from 150 North Main Street, just across from the city's iconic clock tower, to Philadelphia to be with her family.

Customers will still be able to buy from The Grey Colt through Instagram and on the store's website.

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Patty Pennington opened the The Grey Colt in 1959.

Katie Coulton, Pennington's daughter, started working full-time at the store in the mid 1970's before taking over from her mother in 1990. Since opening, the store's mission has remained the same: providing unique, eye catching clothing that might not be found on department store racks.

At first, Coulton said, the store was meant to provide clothing for everyone.

"It was obvious after about a year that it was going to be a basically a women's clothing store," she said. The biggest change came in the late 1970s, when competition ramped up from Talbot's and an Ohio-based store called The Acorn.

"That's when I started to get into accessories in a big way," Coulton said, "because I had to find something that people would come here and maybe not find in our competition."

Her mother started the store when Coulton was in fourth grade. She said that she feels like she grew up there. By the time she retired, she knew four generations of families who shopped at the store.

The two things she loved most about the job were the variety in the day-to-day operations and the customers. She likens the familiarity she had with her regulars to being a hairdresser.

"People are comfortable talking to you, and you become very close to them," Coulton said. "I still run into those people at Heinen's, and it's like, 'Oh I miss talking to you.' It's a unique relationship."

Dreams come true

Kalis grew up on Main Street. Her mother, Rosemary Burner, owned the Learned Owl bookstore, and Kalis found herself part of a group of girls who did all their shopping at the Colt.

"We bought our prom dresses here, our bridesmaids dresses, and it was sort of the place to shop when I was growing up," she said.

After graduating from Ohio University with a degree in fashion merchandising, she spent a year working at The Grey Colt with Coulton and Pennington.

When Coulton turned The Grey Colt over to Kalis in 2018, it was a dream come true.

"When I grew up, this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to be Katie and Mrs. Pennington, and I thought meeting the ladies in town was a blast," Kalis said. "Seeing them and helping them pick out their clothes — I mean, to me it was the most fun and nothing was better than making the right fit. And it continues today, there's nothing quite like it."

Forging a connection with her customers has been one of the great joys of owning The Grey Colt, said Kalis.

"A lot of them don't come here just to shop, they just come in here to chat," she said. "Since I said that I was closing, having the parade of people — it's been heartwarming to have so many people come through here to say goodbye."

Store bringing its Hudson legacy to new home

"My lease was up this year, and so I had a decision to make," Kalis said. "I had always planned to open a second store in Philadelphia, and for my family, for the business, it just made sense to move this existing store to Philadelphia."

The decision to uproot The Grey Colt into a new locale was a difficult one, but once it was made, Kalis said there was no stopping the move.

Kalis hopes that something similar moves into the soon-to-be vacant storefront. Her customers have been wondering where they're going to buy their clothes.

Whatever moves in, Coulton and Kalis hope it's a place that can replicate the same sense of community that surrounded The Grey Colt.

Since buying the store five years ago, Kalis has spent a lot of time in Hudson, away from her Philadelphia-based family, including her 25-year-old daughter who wants to take over the store one day. She's already taking a hand in the business, helping her mother pack up the Hudson store, and going on buying trips with her.

"I feel like in the spirit of Katie taking it over from her mom, it's the next step for The Grey Colt," Kalis said.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: The Grey Colt women's clothing boutique leaves Hudson for Philadelphia