The Tresslars are a big family – a normal holiday gathering could easily involve 60 people. Of those sixty, you might run into quite a few Winmark Brand franchisees.
Altogether, the Tresslars own 21 Plato’s Closet® clothing resale stores among seven family members. Their locations range across eight states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama and Texas.
Chris Tresslar was the first family member to open a Plato’s Closet, and he talked the business up to his relatives. Chris’s nephew Eric decided to open his own location after seeing Chris’s sales numbers. He went on to open four more locations in the Midwest, in addition to his career in commercial real estate.
“I saw their financials, and that’s what convinced me it was a good business,” Eric said. “I had people I trusted who were already in the business who could show me the results they were getting. That makes it a lot easier to have that peace of mind.”
A Knack for Business Ownership
An entrepreneurial spirit runs in the Tresslar family. Eric’s grandfather and great-grandfather owned a chain of dime stores across Middle America. Eric’s father and his eight siblings grew up working in the stores. Years later, when Eric’s uncles Chris and Tim found success with Plato’s Closet, the rest of the family quickly caught the bug.
According to Eric, there’s not much shop talk at family gatherings, but the tight-knit relatives occasionally call each other to toss around ideas and discuss their businesses.
“Winmark has a good, proven formula. If you follow the steps, it’s likely going to be a successful store. It’s not their first rodeo. They have it figured out pretty well,” he said.
Eric has no idea if his two young children will go on to be business owners, but given the family’s bent, no one would be surprised.
Plato’s Closet® is a resale store that leads the nation in the buying and selling of name brand, gently used apparel and accessories for teens and twenty-something girls and guys. Customers can sell the apparel and accessories they don’t wear anymore and use the money to buy new, in-style pieces without even leaving the store. This business model helps reduce waste, save money and strengthen communities through increased employment and affordable clothing.
If you want to build a career as a business owner, learn more about franchise opportunities with Winmark Brands.
