Charles Crane/MDN  Betty Fedorchak reflects on a photo taken of her modeling what her daughters consider the defining look for her store Esoterica, which will be closing its doors sometime in September.

For Esoterica owner Betty Fedorchak, the last 30 years in downtown Minot couldn’t have been more satisfying and rewarding. Sadly, Fedorchak has made the difficult decision to close the doors of the local retailer in September.

Fedorchak has been a downtown mainstay and an active member of the Minot business community for more than three decades, serving not only the customers of her store but also as an unofficial ambassador for the city. A native of Ireland, she takes a great deal of pride in the time she’s had downtown, bridging the gap from one generation of businesses to another, and is admittedly conflicted about the decision to close.

“I’m hoping to be done by the end of September. It will go quickly. When we look at all we have to get rid of, it is a time to say goodbye.” Fedorchak said, “A sad time. I will hate it. I will miss it so much.”

Before she started Esoterica, Fedorchak managed Walter’s Women’s Wear and it was here that her love for Minot and its downtown community started. For her, the greatest reward came not from the promise of any commission, but from the pride of seeing a customer dressed wearing something she helped them buy and soaking up compliments.

“It was pride in what you were selling, and the pride from that customer walking into a room to have someone say how lovely she looked or that she struck a chord with somebody, that she looked elegant.” Fedorchak said, “It was important that if they’d run into somebody when they were out or at a bridge game or whatever, that they dressed that person and people were passing that person compliments. I mean, that’s always nice.”

Ultimately, this concern and focus are her recipe for Esoterica’s longevity, and what it takes for any business to last in the Magic City.

“Good customer service and caring about your customers truthfully. I mean, you know, you’re living in pretty much a Scandinavian-German community, and they can read you like a book. They’re pretty tough to fool so you better be on your toes. Be honest, and treat people the way you want to be treated. That’s the biggest secret,” she said.

She parlayed that experience and focus on customer satisfaction and service, stepping up from management to ownership when she purchased the business with a partner. They operated out of the old Walter’s storefront for a couple of years, selling soon after. She filled the gap with trunk shows until it was brought to her attention that the current location was available.

“I was in Minneapolis at the time, and then I came back and walked through it and I felt very comfortable in here. I liked it and so I bought it.” Fedorchak said.

Over the next three decades, Fedorchak would navigate not only the shifting trends in fashion, but also the rise of online shopping, floods, years of downtown construction, and the COVID-19 pandemic, only slowing down after a condition began affecting her vision.

“I hate doing it. The eye issue has made it hard. Finding help has been hard,” she said.

Two major changes that COVID brought with it were less visits from traveling vendors showcasing items, and less traveling herself to vendor shows across Europe and the United States. Fedorchak doesn’t consider herself a catalog/online shopper, preferring to have tactile experience with the clothing before selecting it, something the pandemic made difficult.

“You have to feel and see the clothing. At the shows we were careful with the masks but there weren’t as many vendors. We did fine, there were things to buy, but you didn’t have the main customer base.” Fedorchak said, “I’ve had tremendous loyalty from my customer base, for all these years. COVID did its damage to a lot of people, and to the dress world. People became very, very casual. Leggings have taken over, she said.

Even with her last days on the horizon, Fedorchak treasures every time an old or new customer walks through her door, and business this summer has been actually quite steady. Summer reunions, the State Fair, and a dip in gas prices have brought people from places as far flung as Quebec recently, an experience she relishes in particular.

“They were dressed to the nines. Talk about style. It was fabulous. I loved it and it made me a little envious that I have stopped buying a lot of that because I liked it so,” Fedorchak said.

Fedorchak plans to remain in Minot, after toying with moving to be closer to her children. She hopes to remain in the mix, and surely will make every excuse to make an appearance downtown.

“When I came downtown, there were such a lot of wonderful people. We had a lot of camaraderie. It’s just wonderful. I think that’s what you get downtown, more than anything else because other stores come and go, but we have endured a great deal,” Fedorchak said, “I wouldn’t trade main street for all the tea in China.”