“I love the people. I love working with the artists and I love working with the customers.”
Maybe that's Therese Deutschlander's secret to success. The Lancaster native opened Thin Iceon Elmwood Avenue almost 13 years ago.
From jewelry, to pottery, to handbags, the gift shop and retail store on has thousands of unique, handmade items for sale.
“I only had a few local artists when I started. And I want to say I was 50/50. 50 percent local and non-local.” And at this point, Deutschlander has about 200 local artists selling products in her store. 95 percent of what she sells is made here in Buffalo.
“You know exactly where your money's going which is super impactful to the community and just the right thing to do. And, even if it's not made in Buffalo, it's made in the state. So, if I can't call and speak directly to the artist, I won't carry their work,” she said.
