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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2005)
irrmroinews S taying A loft First class musicianship Top notch vocal harmonies Choreographed dance moves... So put on Vour Lucky Star. Get Into the Groove and let's Vogue! Hosted by Poison Waters ri f Ticketmaster.com - 224-4400, Balloons on Broadway - 241-3336 or Crystal Ballroom - 225-0047 When an ordinary Realtor simply won't do... H ifi 3144 SE Belmont Portland, OR 97214 office: 503-238-7617 Balloons on Broadway owners celebrate 14 years in business by Rebecca Ragain hen Ron Pitt and Gary Hop new addition—is also very gay-oriented. Hop ping met nearly 20 years ping first started by playing music from his own ago, neither one planned on collection to set a fun, upbeat tone in the store. making a business out of bal- “It kind of has that nighretub-with-the- loons. Yet in early June they lights-on feel sometimes,” says Hopping. celebrated the 14th anniversary of their joint Customers enjoyed the music and wanted to endeavor, Balkxins on Broadway. know where they could buy it. Pitt and Hopping The two gay store owners have evolved a stocked the store with a test-run strip of five two-pronged approach to their business. Pitt CDs, and it just kept growing from there. Now handles the balloon side of things—event deco Balloons on Broadway’s selection of hard-to- rating and bouquet delivery—while Hopping find music is so well-known that local DJs come masterminds rhe retail portion of the downtown in to browse and talk shop. store, which includes a wide selection of quirky “That’s where we got quite a strong follow ing with the young gay crowd,” says Pitt. cards and gifts. Despite the one-sided name, the two aspects The music choices also appeal to the store’s of the business are equally important to the bread-and-butter customers: straight, middle- financial health of Balloons on Broadway. On aged women who work downtown, many of whom live in the suburbs. “We are opening the gay world to them: gay music and gay humor and just a gay sensibility,” says Pitt. In this manner Hopping and Pitt feel like they’re helping bridge a cultural gap. But that gap is no longer as pronounced as it was in the past, like in the mid-1990s, when Pitt had to threaten legal action to get the store listed in the yellow pages under the heading “condoms.” “We’ve gone from pushing the gay issue, because we have progressed so far here in Portland. Now it’s more of social issues, progressive social issues,” says Pitt. Though they’ve always been true to themselves in their business dealings, they are now consciously taking more of a stand within the space of the store, using humor to make political statements. “People who come in and see some of our jokes about George Bush get all dis gusted and walk out.... It got pretty vitri olic during the last election,” says Pitt. “And I know we lost customers—people who’ve been longtime customers.” It’s not easy seeing customers walk out when you’re trying to thrive in the chal lenging retail environment of downtown Gary Hopping (left) and Ron Pitt have been changing Portland. the retail climate of downtown Portland for 14 years. “Downtown retail is very difficult. some days, card sales in the store are jumping We’re competing with so many places, like but balloon orders are slow. Other days the sce Bridgeport Village,” says Pitt. nario is reversed. Still, they don’t plan to tone it down any On both sides, return customers are what time soon. really keep the business afloat. “We just simply are who we are.... We’ve “We have really regular business, consistent never really compromised. We know we’re not repeat business,” says Pitt. everybody’s tastes,” says Pitt. The bulk of their balloon work is for non On the flip side, being themselves has also profit organizations—fund-raisers, silent auc won them a lot of customers. Ir an age of box tions and the like. They’ve been doing the main stores, many people recognize that such a arch at the Pride Parade since Balloons on unique retail combination is a rare find. Where Broadway opened, and they decorated for Pea else do librarian action figures, erotic board cock in the Park every year. games, mullet magnets and bacon air fresheners Their balloon creations also have become an all share the same shelves? integral part of corporate events like the Port “We’re kind of a dying breed. It’s tough land Marathon and many of Nordstrom’s in to find quirky stores these days,” explains store promotions. Hopping. “Balloons have become a really big part of As a result, the store has become a destina Nordstrom’s sale marketing,” says Hopping. tion in and of itself through the years. For The two business partners have a talent for instance, out-of-state flight attendants have recognizing and filling a niche, which has been been known to specifically request the Portland a large part of the success of the retail store. For route when they run low on greeting cards. instance, Pitt and Hopping felt like there was a “People come to us. And we like that. We dearth of gay-supportive ticket venues in the like to be able to hold court where we are,” says downtown area. So during the past couple of Pitt. “You know, the two queens holding years the store has become a ticket outlet for gay court.” jn events like the Red Dress Party and The Rocky Horror Show. B alloons on B roadway is located at 617 S.W. The store’s music selection—a relatively Washington St. W