Boutique owner goes from foster care to fashion

Noelle Wellington entered the foster care system when she was 2 years old and didn’t leave until she aged out nearly two decades later.

“People would tell me I wouldn’t be nothing, or that I would be on drugs like my mom, and stuff like that,” she said. “So my ambition and determination was always through the roof.”

Aging out of the foster care system means making the difficult transition to adulthood without a support system – often after a lifetime of trauma – and all the statistics were against her, according to advisory group National Conference of State Legislatures. Half of foster kids who age out of the system become addicted to drugs. A quarter won’t have a high school diploma or GED. And more than one in five will end up homeless.

Wellington made the conscious decision not to go to college, because she wanted to avoid debt. She also had an entrepreneurial spirit and loved to work. She often worked 80 to 90 hours per week between jobs in retail and home health care.

Then, when she was 25, she got into a car accident. Two years later, she received money in a settlement and put every cent into opening her own clothing store called Queenzat 2577 Bailey Ave.

“I never really had any clothes growing up. I used to go into my closet and pray over my clothes and say, ‘God, please multiply it,’ ” she said. “And then, years later, I get a clothing store.”

Unfortunately, that year was 2019, which meant Covid-19 was right around the corner. Wellington had to close the store, but was still on the hook for rent and other bills. She buckled down on her e-commerce operations and built a following.

Earlier this month, she reopened the brick-and-mortar Queenz boutique. It sells men’s and women’s clothing, women’s lingerie and accessories such as handbags.

She acknowledges the road to get to where she is has been hard, and that there may be more bumps ahead. But she also believes owning a clothing store is nothing short of a miracle.

“It was a dream come true, and I have to give all my credit to God,” she said.

Welcome to Buffalo Next. This newsletter from The Buffalo News will bring you the latest coverage on the changing Buffalo Niagara economy – from real estate to health care to startups. Read more at BuffaloNext.com.

Veterinarian Valerie Ciallella and former West Side Pet Clinic Manager Joe Speranza have teamed up to start Pawsitive Vibes Roaming Veterinary Care, a mobile vet clinic.

Pawsitive Vibes will do in-home visits, which the owners say are beneficial for anxious dogs and convenient for elderly clients, those without transportation or those with mobility issues.

J.C. Penney in the Walden Galleria has replaced its Sephora Beauty shop with its own brand-new concept, J.C. Penney Beauty. The new store-within-a-store is described as being “hyper-inclusive” of all skin tones, ages, races, budgets and hair types.

The new shop will replace Sephora, as it migrates away from J.C. Penney to Kohl’s stores after deciding not to renew its contact with J.C. Penney. It will have 600 shops installed by spring.

A new Taco Bell has opened at 1175 Union Road in West Seneca. It is franchised by KBP Brands, which has more than 1,000 fast food restaurants in 31 states.

The store features free Wi-Fi, power outlets and comfortable seating. The drive-thru has a menu board with an electronic ordering system, which the company said will make orders faster and more accurate.

Beginning on Jan. 1, Walmart will no longer provide paper bags for customer purchases in New York State. Shoppers will have to bring their own reusable bags.

Walmart stores have already gone bagless in Vermont, Maine and New Jersey.

Catch up on the latest news from the Buffalo Niagara economy:

Across Western New York, health care workers have many stories to tell about how they made it through the blizzard while on the job.

Legal marijuana sales launched in the state Thursdaybut not in Western New York due to a lawsuit that led to an injunction pausing sales here.

World Central Kitchen is back to help feed Buffalo’s East Side in response to the blizzard that shut down the city for nearly a week.

Wells Enterprises will eliminate 183 jobs at its Dunkirk plantwhich is less than the 319 employees the company previously planned to lay off.

A three-year deal ensures Highmark members will continue to have in-network access to care at Catholic Health’s facilities.

Athenex is closing its Newstead manufacturing plant and laying off all 92 employees as of March 17.

Preliminary efforts are underway to prepare for the third phase of the project to redevelop the Northland complex in Buffalo.

The state is looking for ideas to redevelop a prison that closed last year in Gowanda.

The federal funding needed to get a tech hub program off the ground has been included in a year-end spending bill before Congress.

Cost vs. Benefits: That’s the trade-off at the center of the state’s proposed climate change plan.

A development agency is hiring a consultant to come up with ways to improve the infrastructure linking Canalside and the redesigned Centennial Park.

The Buffalo Niagara region’s sluggish hiring is being driven by a shortage of workers, and local officials are starting to look for ways to ease the crunch.

Big changes are coming to the state’s energy markets after a plan to reduce harmful emissions was approved by an advisory panel.

Five reads from Buffalo Next:

1. Bounce back for Buffalo Niagara economy: The value of all the goods and services produced in the region, which dropped by 3.4% during the pandemic, came roaring back last year, with a 5.3% gain.

2. The Bills make me want to shop: How Buffalo Bills merchandise is some of the hottest local gift items this holiday season.

3. How will Western New York’s higher education institutions recover from Covid-19? Enrollment at some local schools is holding up, but others are struggling to attract students.

4. New life for old stones: How a Buffalo company is finding new uses for old bricks and stones in construction projects.

5. Big changes are being proposed for the state’s energy marketsand it could change the way residents heat their homes and cook their food in the years to come.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Deputy Business Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up to get the latest in your inbox five days a week.