Holiday shoppers, gleeful children, Santa, and Top Toys fill the aisles of Learning Express Toys this time of year. Four new stores are experiencing the delight of the season, with grand openings in November (Mandeville, LA; Lafayette, CA; Manhattan) and December (Holmdel, NJ).
During their first evening of their grand opening, Mandeville owners Rhonda Folse Solomon and Jeanne Murry hosted a fundraiser for Ava, a local girl suffering from a rare form of kidney cancer. Establishing their store as a community-focused center for local families, Solomon and Murry chose to help a cause that is especially dear to Solomon, whose daughter attends school with Ava.
Cindy Mashat, a lifelong resident of Northern California, researched Learning Express Toys for more than a year before choosing her location in Lafayette, CA. “Raising children over two decades, I have seen the evolution of playtime,” says Mashat. “And above all, I believe in the importance of a parent’s choice in engaging and creative toys.”
The same weekend that Mashat opened her doors on the West Coast, franchisee Ali Garcia greeted new customers on the East Coast—in Manhattan. True to the Upper East Side, Garcia’s store is a beautiful boutique with meticulous merchandising. Garcia, a mother of two young children, has dreamed of centering her career on fun, laughter, and kids. Her Learning Express Toys store—located at the corner of 61st and 3rd—is in the same neighborhood where she and her family reside. Her goal for the store is that it become a space in which the families of her neighborhood can gather to “share smiles, joy, and all the moments of childhood.”
Also on the East Coast, Jennifer Schanker opened her store just days ago. A resident of Staten Island, Schanker was drawn to Holmdel , NJ, by the unique character and charm of the town and the picturesque beauty of its parks. In 2012, Schanker and her family were victims of Hurricane Sandy. Trapped on the second floor of their home, the Schanker family watched as the waters rose to astonishing levels and ravaged their property and entire neighborhood. Though her home was destroyed, Schanker has worked diligently to provide a sense of normalcy for her children.
“I am thrilled by this new endeavor, and I look forward to building a positive environment for my family as well as the families of this community,” says Schanker. She credits her children with inspiring her to open her store. “I strive to give my son and daughter the tools they need to succeed. I hope to be able to do the same for the children of this community by making my store a resource for their parents.”
Learning Express Toys welcomes these new owners into the family of more than 120 locations across the country. Each of the stores will feature the brand signature exceptional customer service, including a birthday gift registry, free gift wrapping, free personalization, civic fundraising, and regularly scheduled events.