b'STAN & INGRIDRAZNYIm gutsy, but that was just like, no. We took a pass on that oppor- Because we are a family business, we are attracting amazing people tunity [but] that opportunity re-presented itself in 2016, he says.who want to [spend their] careers here, which Im so impressed by. That year, the Raznys opened a down- Stan, too, acknowledges they are town Chicago store on Oak Street instead,The Raznys opened their second jewelry store invery blessed with their staff of 80 em-asking Rolex and Patek Philippe if theyHighland Park, Illinois, in 2003.ployees, which includes all three of their would be willing to co-locatethey agreed.children: their eldest, son Eric Razny; When the store opened, it was onlydaughter Christine Razny-Porter; and the second door in the United States toson Michael Razny. carry both prestigious watch brands inChristine and Michael, who both earned the same location. (Gearys Beverly HillsGraduate Gemologist diplomas from the was the other.) Gemological Institute of America, came to While owning and operating fourwork for the family business directly after jewelry stores might seem daunting tocollege and earning their GGs. some independents, Stan and Ingrid viewEric tried a different track, custom-it as necessary in the Windy City, whichizing cars for racing, before ultimately is congested with what Stan describes asjoining Razny Jewelers in 2018. brutal traffic.Each of the Razny children brings We kind of needed to cover fourwith them a distinctive skill set, Stan and stores to cover Chicago. Its that big,Ingrid say, though they all share a love of Ingrid says.watches and style. She also points out that none of theirContinued on page 48stores overlap. She compares their layout to a baseball diamond, with the down-town store serving as home plate or, as she puts it, the home run. To really be Chicagos jeweler that was the requirement, Stan says. THE GOOD PLACEThere were sleepless nights early on. Theres no doubt about that, Ingrid admits when asked if they ever hesitated when opening new stores. But I think were in a good place right now. We have amazing em-ployees and youre only as good as your employees. Opened in 2008, the Hinsdale store is the smallest Razny Jewelers location, measuring 2,000 square feet. The Raznys are renovating and expanding their Addison store, their first store and still the flagship. Construction is slated to begin in spring 2024.46 RETAILER HALL OF FAME 2023'