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Mrs. Mugs
A whimsical gift shop for all ages.
An Ordinary Day
In early 2003, a local designer walked into Mrs. Mugs and showed us a bracelet she had been selling at local craft fairs and giving to friends as gifts. The design had been a hit so she wanted to sell them in a local shop. She asked her friends for advice: which store should she bring the bracelet to. Almost all of them named their favorite store, Mrs. Mugs.
While the fledgling designer, Liz, was presenting her bracelet and romance card to Lori, several customers came in to look at Cape Cod jewelry. After showing them several nautical bracelets and the Cape Cod Bracelet, Lori showed them this new bracelet, the Cranberry Bracelet. The customers loved them. When the customers left, they each had on a sparkling Cranberry Bracelet and Mrs. Mugs had bought every bracelet that Liz had made.
The Theme is On
The Cranberry Bracelet, with its 15 garnets representing the 15 towns of Cape Cod was a huge hit. Liz followed this up with the popular Sandwich Collection and then the Seasons of Cape Cod Collection. Each collection told a cohesive story. Other stores were starting to take notice. Imitations and knock-offs starting appearing all over the Cape. And each one of them claimed to be the "original" version of whatever Mrs. Mugs bracelet they copied. But, that was okay. While they were copying one bracelet, Liz would be busy designing a new and unique collection.
But, what brought Mrs. Mugs to this point?
The Early Days
Before there was a Mrs. Mugs, before there were display cases stocked with shiny silver tins and glass jars filled with thick dips and juicy preserves, before shelves were lined with row after row of mugs, there was a mother. Her child was in the hospital, and many concerned nurses, technicians and doctors helped her family. The mother wanted to thank some of these caring people by giving them each an appropriate mug filled with goodies.
She searched. She traveled from store to store, only to find two or three mugs here, three or four mugs there. She became discouraged, but she pressed on, searching for the perfect mug.
On an otherwise ordinary Friday morning, nothing unusual about this day, during the hour's drive to Cape Cod, she remarked, "I know what I want to do."
"What?" the future Mr. Mugs asked, uncertainly.
"I want to open a store. I want to sell mugs, and I want to call it Mrs. Mugs."*
Just like that, the mother was to become known as Mrs. Mugs.
A Dream on Hold
Several years passed. Slowly, the idea was being transformed from a vague, shapeless dream into a concrete, exciting possibility. Mugs were no longer the only product contemplated. There would be specialty coffees, teas and cocoas, as well as unique gourmet foods and elegant collectible teapots and whimsical jewelry.
But the burden of family responsibilities kept Mrs. Mugs a distant destination, fun to fantasize about, but with little hope of becoming reality.
Moving On
A transformation was approaching, or more befitting Mrs. Mugs, change was brewing. Time to make a fresh start. Moves to North Carolina and Oregon were discussed but ruled out. Summertime Cape Cod childhood memories were recalled with fondness. Cape Cod, close to family, but far enough to feel the warmth of regeneration. Sandwich would be our new home.
The Lease
Another year passed, time to allow the routines of family life in a new setting to become established. Time to begin seriously working to make the dream of Mrs. Mugs a reality. Store sites were reviewed, evaluated, rejected. Finally, a break through. A small space, tiny actually, became available on Route 6A, close to home. Excited, nervous, we paced the site, imagining the possibilities. Lease in hand, the search for unusual products began.
The Move
We outgrew this space within two years. The search was once again on for a new site, this one with more space. After months of intense negotiations, we bought a former ice cream shop, directly across the street from our original location. After six months of renovations, we were ready to move in. We found our permanent home.
The Commitment
Overriding all else at Mrs. Mugs is the goal of providing the highest quality products with service that is unmatched anywhere.
* When asked how she came up with the name, Mrs. Mugs would later reply, "I don't know. I never really thought about it. The name just came to me."
The Address
680 Route 6A
E. Sandwich, MA 02537
508-362-6462
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