A New Bern native returned to the city to bring his almost 20-year-old men’s clothing business from Mississippi to his hometown.
Peter Grant owned and operated Grant’s Fine Menswear with his wife, Teresa Grant, in Ocean Springs, Miss., for 17 years.
In 2022, the couple decided to close shop in Mississippi and move to North Carolina.
“We had a wonderful run there but neither of us are from Mississippi and I was anxious to come home,” Peter Grant said.
“New Bern is my home.”
Additionally, hewas persuaded by many local friends to bring a menswear store to New Bern.
“Everybody has to go out of town to buy men’s clothing,” he said. “What we typically hear is ‘we’ve been waiting for this.”
After close to two years of planning and preparation, Grant’s Menswear opened in New Bern at 1329 McCarthy Blvd., on Feb. 27.
In Mississippi, the Grants owned two stores, one for casual menswear and one for formal menswear.
Meanwhile, the New Bern store carries both casual wear and formal clothing with brands like Johnnie-O, Bugatchi and Brackish. Neckties, suits, dress shoes, T-shirts and belts are some of the products available at Grant’s Menswear.
Grant said they also make some of their own inventory like shirts, suits and neckwear.
“We’ve learned over the years that you have to have a little bit of everything, different price points for everybody,” he said. “We are not a high-end store. We’re a store that has all different price points.”
Grant said his love of men’s fashion inspired him to open a clothing store almost two decades ago.
Before he opened Grant’s Fine Menswear, Grant worked as a salesman in the furniture business for more than 20 years. Additionally, he comes from a family of entrepreneurs.
“This was kind of the next natural progression for me,” he said. “My parents opened the Henderson House Restaurant back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
“It was the finest dining from 1974 to 1999, that and the Harvey Mansion. Back then, there was nobody downtown, they were the only two businesses open in the evening.”
Peter Grant’s mother was also the first woman on the First Citizens Board of Directors and the first woman to sell $1 million worth of real estate in New Bern.
“My family was just real entrenched here,” he said. “It’s great to come home and have everyone talk about my family and have good memories of them.”
Peter and Teresa Grant said they’re excited to be part of the community.
“We’re glad to be here and I’m glad to be back,” he said. “And we have a long term lease here, so we’ll be here a long time and continue to make the store better.”
The Grants said this is just the beginning of Grant’s Menswear. They’re already working on setting up a television and bar cart in the store to provide a full experience while customers shop.
Grant’s Menswear is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
link