From Ste. Gen to Cape — family boutique opens second outlet on Broadway

If the interior of the new Belle Ever After Boutique at 407 Broadway in Cape Girardeau looks familiar, it's because the clothing outlet is essentially a replica of a store owned by the same family in St. Genevieve, Missouri.

Cape Girardeau's Belle Ever After was opened Saturday by Bill and Linda Holst, and the couple's older daughter, Katessa Dame, a graduate of Scott City High School and Southeast Missouri State University, is store manager.

"The word 'belle' in French means beautiful and we want ladies of all sizes to feel that way," said Dame, who explained the new store will carry a lot of the same products as the first Belle — which debuted in June 2017 in Ste. Genevieve.

"What we discovered in Ste. Gen is we have a lot of Cape and Jackson customers who drive up to patronize us," said Bill Holst, an electrician at Procter & Gamble.

"I've heard Cape described as a 'big, small town,' and I must say, it seems the downtown area is really growing," he added.

"We carry clothing in small through 3X, dressy and casual, trendy yet affordable," said Dame, who noted the store carries an assortment of items. "We have dresses, sweaters, cardigans, purses, shoes, jewelry, jeans, hats, skirts, and will soon have scarves."

Belle Ever After Boutique has a three-year lease and plans to be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The store space was previously occupied by Magnolia's Bridal.

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