Twice Is Nice Transforms School Teacher Into Business Owner

Being a small business owner wasn’t originally in the plans for Marie Thompkins.

The Groton City resident and Mystic co-owner of was a special education teacher in a different life. Over the past seven years she has grown into the role, and the shop, on Roosevelt Avenue, in Mystic wouldn’t be the same without her passion for the store and its history.

“It’s so intriguing,” Thompkins said of her new profession. “You never know what’s going to come into the store.”

Thompkins said every day the shop that she owns with her husband Daniel receives about 350 to 500 items that people are looking to sell. Twice is Nice takes in and sells children’s clothing and accessories for boy and girls and was the winner of the

“I was a little surprised,” Thompkins said of all the support for the store. “It was such a wide-ranging poll I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out but it’s such an established shop.”

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Founded by Pamela Hartman, the Twice is Nice is almost thirty years old.

“On the first day she opened she sold everything,” Thompkins said.

The store use to just be run out of the basement of its 19 Roosevelt Avenue building while Hartman rented out the upstairs part, but after it did so well she expanded into its current location.

Hartman’s husband was Daniel’s captain at the fire department and the couple became like a second set of parents to him. Seven years ago the Hartmans offered to sell the place to the couple.

Thompkins said it was difficult to make the switch from teaching to small business owner even though she had been looking to leave the teaching profession. The established staff and being able to ask Pam questions helped.

“It’s a tough business,” Thompkins said. “I’ve seen a few shops open and close.”

The business, Thompkins said, however hasn’t seen any real change in the past seven years even with the slower economy. She said there are new faces as many people give clothing to friends, but that they have also always got a lot of tourists wandering into the shop in part because of their location near the train station.

“The customers are always happy,” Thompkins said.