A Goodbye Letter From The Little Apple's Molly Cygan Rossettie

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After opening in 2010, The Little Apple quickly rose as one of Philadelphia's best gift shops, instrumental in putting Manayunk's retail scene back on the map. But earlier this week, boutique founder Molly Cygan Rossettie suddenly announced that her successful start-up is under new ownership.

Here, Molly explains the reason behind her seemingly hasty exit, shares what's in store for her boutique, and bids her loyal customers adieu. (P.S. Say goodbye to Molly tonight as The Little Apple hosts a farewell party for the Rossetties from 5pm to 8pm.)

Dear everyone,

As of Monday June 10, The Little Apple received a new owner, Brandy Schecter. She's a Philly native and one of my first customers when I opened the shop in 2010. My husband, John, our French Bulldog, Penn, and I are headed to San Diego for John's internal medicine residency. He graduated from Drexel Med in May. I'm originally from Southern California, and I'll now be only an hour from my family—so the whole move and transition is bittersweet.

I've really grown to love Philadelphia—it's restaurants, city life, sports obsessions, cult food items, and all the other fun stuff that makes Philly what it is! Having the opportunity to open a small business here was really a dream come true. It honestly all started with a Retail for Dummies book, a lot of time on the computer, and a little money. I'm grateful to Philly and to Manayunk for being a welcoming place for a female small business owner. I've met so many talented, creative and gutsy small business owners.

I opened The Little Apple during a snowstorm and during the recession, so I couldn't be happier that I was able to create and grow a neighborhood shop that I could eventually sell and pass on to someone with fresh eyes and ideas. Don't fret: Brandy promises to continue carrying all of The Little Apple favorites (Capri Blue candles, Map Tote Philly wine bags, etc.) but has plans to bring in some new jewelry, more baby items and gifts for kids and even items for dogs. She also has a shop dog, Betty Paige, a chihuahua terrier mix who seems to be loving her new post as store greeter.

xoxo,

Molly Cygan Rossettie