Henry the Hatter forced to close in downtown Detroit

Robert Allen | Detroit Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Henry the Hatter is closing its downtown Detroit location Henry the Hatter is closing its downtown Detroit location on August 5, 2017.

The oldest hat retailer in the United States, Henry the Hatter "has lost its lease and must close" its downtown Detroit location, a news release announced Friday.

The last day of business for the store founded in 1893, with hats worn by such high-profile people as U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and musician George Clinton, is Aug. 5. The other location in Southfield will remain open.

"It's not a good day for independents like me," said Paul Wasserman, 70, owner of Henry the Hatter. His lease on the building at 1307 Broadway is ending, and he said his landlord of 22 years is using an escape clause. "They had the legal right to do what they did. It's their building to do what they see fit."

Sales for the hat business lately have been among the best since the late 1970s. The diverse range of customers has included traditionalists wanting to look like Humphrey Bogart as well as people in the entertainment business who prefer "funkier, edgier" looks. Virtually every Detroit mayor -- except Mike Duggan -- has been inaugurated in a hat from the store since Wasserman has been there, he said.

"Over the past 124 years, as trends, culture and the economy evolved, we did, too. I’m sad to see this era end but it was a business decision I did not make,” said Henry the Hatter owner Paul Wasserman, 70, in the release. “I encourage everyone, from those who visited the store when they were young to first time shoppers, to visit us at Henry the Hatter and help us say goodbye to a part of Detroit history.”

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Henry the Hatter has been at the Detroit location for 65 years. The business was originally started by Henry Komrofsky, and switched hands before New Yorker Seymour (Sy) Wasserman purchased it in 1948. His son, Paul Wasserman joined the family business in 1972.

Eisenhower wore a Henry the Hatter homburg to his inauguration in 1956. Other customers have included Kid Rock, Jeff Daniels, Jack White, Peter Karmanos, Mike Epps and Steve Harvey, according to the news release.

Wasserman said he's hopeful he can find another location in the city. Similar mom-and-pop style retail stores have taken hits with the rise in mega-stores and online shopping. But not this hatter.

"Hats is one of those products that, unless you're familiar with a brand or a style, it's tough to buy it online -- because you're not sure what you're going to get," he said.

Big downtown investment and enthusiasm in recent years has led to an increase in monthly parking rates from $30 to $130, he said, adding that it's expected to rise again. A number of nearby properties have been redeveloped.

"I'm very happy to see Detroit having the renaissance it's having," Wasserman said, adding that he moved to the city at 2 and went all the way Detroit Public Schools. "I'm a Detroiter to my core."

He recalls in the late 1980s, after the massive Hudson's department store building was demolished, Henry the Hatter was the only operating business on the block.

But through tough times, "exceedingly loyal customers" kept him in business, he said, adding that even when nine months of road construction obscured his storefront with huge gravel piles in 2005-06, his sales figures were "not half bad."

He said that if the worst-case scenario plays out and he's not able to reopen a Detorit location, he'll have no regrets.

"I don't want to have to," he said, "but if I did have to, I can walk away with a smile."

Contact Robert Allen on Twitter @rallenMI or rallen@freepress.com.