In downtown Minneapolis, a store is born

A little more than three weeks ago, the doorway to Elsworth men's clothing store in downtown Minneapolis was darkened with brown paper. Inside, Keith Dorsett was tearing open boxes of shirts, hunkering over his computerized inventory system and setting up wardrobe displays.

For 21 years, Dorsett had sold clothes at the downtown department store now owned by Macy's. Professional athletes, CEOs and everyday Joes sought him out for his ability to match styles and sensibilities.

Now, Dorsett was days away from striking out on his own.

"I've got a good product and a good value, but you stand on your own merit," he said. "I want an environment that is welcoming and warm, but has integrity -- from the designers to the fabric to the way I conduct myself. That's who I am."

Dorsett, 44, got his start in the 1980s, working the stockroom in women's shoes at Dayton's department store. Back then, national retailers, with no Mall of America to dissuade them, opened their first stores in downtown Minneapolis, making it the area's shopping destination.

Today, many of those stores are gone, and in recent months more have packed up their downtown shops to focus on suburban ones. Downtown boosters, all too aware of the trend, are struggling to attract businesses that bring buzz and foot traffic. For that, they are counting on stores such as Dorsett's.

"One of our core strategies for recruitment is to focus less on national chains and much more on the unique, original, or very limited embryonic retail operations," said Sam Grabarski, head of the Minneapolis Downtown Council. "New concepts, individual designers, people packaging together experiences and conveniences in new ways. ... That salt-and-pepper mix of new and established will make downtown a shopping destination."

Start selling

Dorsett threw open the doors to Elsworth the first week in March, even though construction wasn't quite complete. He joked that his wife of 21 years, Kim, "pushed me out the door and said I'd better start doing some selling."

The store is across the skyway from his old stomping grounds at Macy's, in Highland Bank Court at 8th Street and LaSalle Avenue S. He'd signed a lease to go into Gaviidae Common, but when that deal fell through, he moved into the space that men's retailer Charles' Clothing & Footwear had occupied for about 25 years.

Those first days challenged the rookie shopkeeper. Dorsett hadn't quite figured out the credit-card system, so several early customers never got charged. One of his friends he had sold to came back later and settled up.

"It's a work in progress," he said, shrugging. "Some mistakes I can't afford to continue to make. But I'd rather it be at my expense than the customer's."

Elsworth, Dorsett's middle name without the extra L, is "American classics with a twist," offering everything from belts and shoes to sportswear and suits.

Hot-pink paisley shirts by Minneapolis-based Humble go for $80; Gypsy 05 T-shirts cost about $60. Two lines of suits are priced at $660 and $895, while whimsical Ted Baker silk ties are $85. Dress shoes from Grenson go for $290.

As a bevy of retailers such as Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, Badiner Jewelers and Polo Ralph Lauren have pulled out of downtown in recent years, men's clothing stores are staging a comeback, the departure of Nate's Clothing notwithstanding.

Len Druskin opened a men's-only store in Gaviidae Common last summer, and Brooks Brothers, which soon will close its Mall of America store, opened last fall in City Center. Combined with such downtown mainstays as Hubert White and the Men's Wearhouse, Elsworth joins a growing list of destinations for dapper dressers.

Imagine 20 of him downtown

Dorsett says the time was right for him to go solo. Though he'd been planning to make the leap from employee to owner, job cuts at Macy's in August provided him a 21-week severance package that helped ease some of his financial fears.

Dorsett pooled all his savings and took out a loan from the Small Business Administration. He expects to pay $2,600 to $3,500 a month on the 974 square feet of retail space plus a storage room.

"The process of getting that small-business loan was endless," Dorsett said. "But by the end, it allowed me to get focused and know that I've crossed my T's and dotted the I's."

Former Macy's North CEO Frank Guzzetta said Dorsett's engaging and encouraging sales style often helped spice up his wardrobe during his years at Macy's.

"I was of two minds about losing Keith," Guzzetta said. "He was a fantastic employee with a big following. At the same time, imagine if you had 20 people like Keith downtown. Specialty retailers with special relationships with customers. ... Wouldn't people just love to flock to an area like that? We can't get enough of them."

Dorsett grew up in Nassau, Bahamas, the second-oldest of five boys. His father spent more than 40 years at the Nassau Guardian newspaper, as a printer and as operations manager. His mother was a seamstress, which may have inspired his appreciation for fabric and fashion.

"Growing up, we dressed a certain way," he said. "We were always dressed up for Easter."

He came to the United States in 1980 on a track scholarship to the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. He transferred to Minnesota State Mankato, where he met Kim, and graduated with a degree in computer science in 1986.

But Dorsett, who irons shirts every day because "it's soothing," fell into a retail career instead.

Dorsett said he wanted the store to feel like a closet, with clothes on the side and space down the middle. Fashion magazines, iconic coffee table books and African artifacts settle among the clothes.

While an iPod plays in the background, curious shoppers and downtown friends stop in or give a wave as they stroll by.

The tight-knit retail clan has come out in full force.

Irene Kushnir, his former manager in the men's area at Macy's, offered a hug and a smile on his first day of business. Guzzetta purchased a Ted Baker shirt and a zip-up fleece top that instantly drew compliments, he said.

Abby Rashedi, a well-known salesman at Neiman Marcus, came to admire the wares, pass along a possible vendor contact, and promised to send customers Dorsett's way when Neiman's couldn't quite satisfy.

"People don't have to do that -- be that generous," Dorsett said. "I'm humbled and blessed."

'One shirt at a time'

At his debut party March 20, Elsworth's was the place to be and to be seen. Brazilian singer Marcela Ribeiro performed a short guitar set. Gospel singer and minister Bernice Gregory added her vocal blessings. Two of Dorsett's three sons, Avery, 15, and Preston, 7, yukked it up with bankers, retailers, financial planners and fashionistas. Avery even participated in the fashion show.

Dorsett still is learning some basic things, like figuring out payroll software and navigating the business tax code.

He's also navigating boundaries with friends who tend to gather at his store to support him, and making sure potential customers feel comfortable wandering in.

Then there are more practical challenges of the sole proprietor: His wife made him a "Back in 15 minutes" sign for when he needs to slip out to grab lunch or take a washroom break.

As retailers across the country retrench in the face of consumer worries, Dorsett knows that he's got challenges ahead.

The somewhat out-of-the-way location, Guzzetta said, doesn't work in his favor.

"He's going to have to make himself known, because there's not a lot of walk-by traffic that you'd get at Gaviidae," Guzzetta said. "He's going to have to start how all retailers start. He has to build on his base."

That's no surprise to Dorsett, who said that, no matter where you're located, "You still have to work it." As for the economy, he considers it a cycle that he'll take on "one shirt at a time."

"The basic model is in place, and I'm happy with that," he said. "Now it's about how we gear up for three months from now, when the store's not new, and create those staples that will stand the test of time. That's what I look forward to doing."

Jackie Crosby • 612-673-7335