Outdoor clothing and accessories store Tommy’s Superette has made the move to Germain Street, heading into the action of a revitalized uptown.
“With tourist season coming up, and cruise ship season approaching … this Germain Street spot opened up it was kind of perfect,” says Tommy’s Superette co-owner Zoë Boyd.
“It really seemed like a good move and a good fit for us to land on in the heart of uptown.”
The store opened in 2021 at 162 Princess Street, and while the location worked well in the beginning, Boyd says it began to feel a bit removed from the hustle of the waterfront scene.
“We were a hike up Princess Street. By the time people reached Catapult [Coffee & Studio], they kind of forgot that we were just a block further than that,” Boyd says.
While it was hard to leave behind the old neighbourhood, Boyd says they are excited to build relationships with their new neighbours on Germain Street, some of whom they already know.
“It’s super exciting to have some friends around.”
Boyd is hosting a grand opening celebration in the new space on May 6 but has been open for business there since April 12. It features all the same products as the original location: climbing gear, mountain biking accessories, outdoor adventure wear, and more. It also features the same familiar “Tommy’s Superette” throwback-style sign.
If the name Tommy’s Superette sounds familiar, it’s because it was a well-known name in the Port City going back more than 50 years.
Tommy’s Superette was a North-End butcher shop that got its start in the 1960s and was a Saint John mainstay until 2013, when Tommy retired.
“Tommy was my grandfather,” Boyd explains of opening the original shop with her mother, Tracy Isaac.
“When we decided to open this business in 2021, we were going back and forth about what to call our shop… we couldn’t agree on anything. So we decided to see if he minded if we, rebranded his original shop and turned a butcher shop into an outdoor shop.”
“He was on board.. he was really excited about it, although he thought we were kidding.”
Boyd and Isaac continue to co-own the shop and, apart from the location, nothing else will be changing.
“It has the same sort of vibe that we had [on Princess St]. We made sure that it showcased our product really well,” Boyd says. “We have a lovely window facing the brick buildings across the street and we have lots of natural light now.”
“There’s a spot for our shop dog to sleep in the window, she’s been getting us a lot of attention.”
Boyd has also started a spin-off business from her outdoor clothing and accessories store, a spin studio called Meet at Tommy’s, another nod to Tommy’s butcher days.
“If you get it, you get it,” Boyd says with a laugh of the indoor spin studio located at 12 Charlotte St which opened in 2022, the first of its kind in Saint John.
With two businesses on the go and a regular, full-time job on top of that, Boyd has also found time to team up with Be Rad Adventure Co. to do a mountain biking race at Rockwood Park in July.
“That’s going to be Saint John’s first enduro mountain bike race. We’re going to do a competitive one and a fun one.”
With the outdoor enthusiast community in Saint John thriving, Boyd is looking forward to even more adventures at Tommy’s new location.
“It’s just nice to have that sense of community. That sense of adventure,” she says.
“People want to come in and tell us about their latest ride at Rockwood Park or their climbing adventure or their camping adventures… and I think that’s a really great thing that we’ve worked to create. To have these people that want to share their stories with us.”
Alex Graham is a reporter with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
