Bon Ton Hatters
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Bon Ton Hatters is a traditional hat and shoe repair shop at 219 20th Street North that was founded in 1907 by Constantine Callis and his son Jimmy Callis, Sr, father of current proprietor Jimmy Callis, Jr. Callis and his son had operated a shoe shop in Greece before emigrating to the United States. They both worked for the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company before opening their own shop in Birmingham.
When it opened, Bon Ton was one of dozens of hat shops Downtown. It is now the only place in the city where a hat can be properly cleaned and reshaped. With men's hats still out of fashion, shoe repairs and shines make up the larger part of Bon Ton's business. A row of shoeshine chairs along one wall beckons customers at $1 a shine.
References
- Hubbard, Russell (April 2, 2006) "City's economy hums along 24 hours all different ways." The Birmingham News
- WIlliams, Roy L. (October 7, 2010) "Five questions with Jimmy Callis, owner of Bon Ton Hatters Shoe Repair." The Birmingham News
External link
- Photo of Bon Ton Hatters on Flickr.com