Sweet Shirt Company is unapologetically a souvenir shop. Still, it may be the oldest open business operating under its original name in Angel Fire history. It is the place to buy that perfect Angel Fire hoodie or T-shirt to wear back to your home town. The reviews and repeat customers support that.
Sweet Shirt Company was first owned by Eileen Hajousky as a branch of the one she owned in Cresta Butte, Colorado. Now and again, Aileen says a customer will still come in and ask why there are no sweatshirts available with Colorado decals. Then-Mayor James Butts and his wife Sharon bought the shop in 2008. Since James was the town’s first pharmacist, the first mayor, and started the Chamber of Commerce, Sharon and kids must have run the retail business.
Current owners Aileen and Wayne Martinez bought the store in 2015. Besides changing owners, the shop has seen little change to the product line. Practically everything, from mugs to jackets to caps to travel cups bear the name of Angel Fire. Colors and designs do follow trends. The Martinezes attend markets in Las Vegas and Denver yearly to stay up with new colors and trends. Since most new tourists arrive in Angel Fire not aware of the cooler nights and mornings, Sweet Shirt Co. is a must-stop shop for hoodies and flannel shirts all summer and winter. long
Some of their customers have been stopping by for years, and Aileen always looks forward to seeing them. She admits locals only come in when they bring in out-of-town guests, or in the summer when the shop carries local honey and jams. Huckleberry jam is a favorite — but no, huckleberries do not grow in the valley. The ‘Sweet’ in the name of the shop comes from fudge which previous owners made and sold. Unfortunately, the fudge began competing with space needed for more stock. When asked what she would change if she could, Aileen replied more floor space. Wayne rolled his eyes.
Wayne has an outside job in construction, but pitches in on the heavy work when new stock comes in. One of their teenage daughters has reached the age when she can work the shop when not in school. Weekends and holidays are busy and her family welcomes her help. Owning and running a business in Angel Fire is a family affair. Aileen loves it. The customers are her favorite part. The shop, now full with their new summer items, obviously pleases her.
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