The Store Next Door Offers Western-Style Gifts
Emporia, KS – Ernie Tafoya, longtime owner of Balloons by Ernie, is reinventing his business after helium prices let the air out of his balloon shop.
After years of creating balloon arches and bouquets for special events, and astounding children by placing stuffed animals inside balloons, Tafoya has converted his retail space at 321 Commercial St. into The Store Next Door, a shop specializing in Western-themed gifts and decor.
“I decided to call it The Store Next Door because people would ask me where I was in relation to Balloons by Ernie, and I’d tell them ‘I’m at the store next door’,” Tafoya said.