Sep. 13—ROCHESTER — Some might call it fate.

Kismet Consignment

owner Penny Bracken was thinking about "new horizons" after 18 years on Rochester's 600 block of North Broadway. She heard a Rochester woman — Jes Peterson — was talking about how she would like to own a consignment business like Bracken's.

"I had heard that she (Peterson) had a vision of having a place like this. So in February, when she walked up to the counter and I said, 'I hear you want to buy my business?'" Bracken shared.

Peterson responded, "Yes, I do." That started a series of conversations and meetings that resulted in Bracken handing a large ring of keys over to Peterson on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022.

Fans of the popular Kismet stores should not be worried about any big changes to the shops under the new ownership. The six employees on the Kismet team will remain and Bracken will stick around until the end of the year to help with the transition.

"It's gonna be business as usual. I'm not planning on reinventing the wheel," said Peterson. "It's got a good name and a good reputation."

For Bracken, handing off the keys to the buildings along the block nicknamed "Penny Lane" means resuming her journey after a "pit stop" Rochester unexpectedly lasted almost two decades. That means spending more time at her home in Mexico and more time with her family in northern California.

"It's time to reinvent myself. I've been self-employed since I was 27. And this will be my sixth career change. Each one was a stepping stone. I'm not using the 'R' word, which is retire. I'm not going to sleep. I'm not stopping. I'm not checking out," said Bracken looking around the store full of vintage furniture, clothing and home goods. "I'm just stepping back from Kismet and walking up to the edge of the cliff to look across the gorge. I'm sure that I can make that jump."

Her Rochester "pit stop" started in 2004, when

Bracken purchased Heidi's Closet

at 603 N. Broadway from Janet Evans. In 2006, she purchased the building at 611 North Broadway to "bookend" the block with Kismet shops. The Gallery 24 art shop currently leases that spot.

Bracken added the building to the north of the original store in 2008 and expanded into it. She added

"the final jewel in the crown" in 2020

when she purchased 609 N. Broadway Ave. Bracken purchased the building from Roger Riege, whose family had owned it for the past century. Gillespie Sporting Goods had operated in the almost 4,000-square-foot building since 1965. That business closed a month before the sale.

Now those four buildings on the west side of Broadway are under Peterson's watch. She said she will take the torch from Bracken and keep working with the community to support the need for businesses that promote reuse through consignment. And Kismet is not alone.

Factoring in

Janky Gear

at 204 N. Broadway,

ReFashion

at 1643 N. Broadway and

Danielle's Shoes & Consignment Boutique

at 2130 S. Broadway, Peterson and Bracken have dubbed Broadway as "Rochester's Consignment Corridor."