WORTHINGTON — A new furniture store hosted its grand opening June 8 in Worthington. Mueblería Furniture is located at 1410 First Ave., and offers a selection of beds, couches, sofas, bed boards and other items.
Originally selling used furniture items, Mueblería Furniture now sells new furniture from brands such as Ashley and Coaster and is partnered with American First Financing.
Owner Orlando Bardales Sr. is experienced in furniture retail, having worked in the industry in his home country of El Salvador. After suffering an injury while working in construction, the setback provided him with an opportunity to start his own business.
“It started out when I had my accident and the doctor told me I couldn’t work anymore,” he said. “After that, I started to see if I could get in the business and I came up with the idea to build a furniture store. Then I got better from the accident and started selling furniture. I’ve always wanted my own business. I used to do this in my home country but I never owned (the business).”
Before Mueblería Furniture was turned into a furniture store, it was Mueblería Latina, a thrift store that was intended for storage rather than retail. Orlando Bardales Jr., who co-manages Mueblería Furniture with his dad, said one of the biggest challenges was renovating the building and bringing it up to code in time.
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“We started out in this building but it wasn’t fixed up like this (where) we sold used furniture,” he shared. “The bank took the building away from the previous owner and that’s when they closed the thrift shop. The inspection for the building (was a challenge). We had to go through a lot because of the electricity and stuff, it had to get a lot of work done. The electricians were super busy so it was pushing us back on our schedule to open up.
“It was a building that was never meant for commercial (use),” he added. “It should’ve been, but it was mostly just for storage. It took a lot of work for it to be permitted for (retail use).”
Samuel Martin / The Globe
Although Mueblería Furniture’s grand opening was June 8, Orlando Sr. said they had already assisted customers before its informal June 4 opening.
“Even when we hadn’t opened yet and we were getting everything together, we probably had a day where two or three people stopped by,” he said. “We’d put the signs up but it wasn’t open yet. We feel like a lot of traffic will pass through here. We expect (to have) a lot of clients after the grand opening.”
Orlando Jr.’s partner Ariana Van Meveren — also a co-manager of the business — said Mueblería Furniture stands out as being the only family-owned, Hispanic furniture retailer in Worthington.
“I would say that this is the only one that is run by a Hispanic family,” Van Meveren pointed out. “That is a big community here in this city.”
With the rest of the staff consisting of his mother, sister and brother, Orlando Jr. said having the business be a family affair will be the biggest joy for him as a co-manager of Mueblería Furniture.
“I feel like this will open more doors,” he said. “I’m learning with them and it’s gonna help me in the long run. There’s probably gonna be a time where we’re gonna run it completely. I’m very proud of my dad; I get to learn from the best.”
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Mueblería Furniture is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday For more information, visit Mueblería Furniture’s Facebook page or call (507) 329-9917.
Samuel Martin became a reporter for The Globe in September 2023. He has a bachelor’s degree in media studies from the University of Sioux Falls.