New Downtown Boutique Roller Rabbit Violates Nantucket's Chain Store Ban

The trendy pajama boutique Roller Rabbit, which opened a store in downtown Nantucket earlier this year, was found in violation of the island's chain store ban after a complaint was filed with the town.

In a July 7th enforcement order obtained by the Current, Nantucket Building Commissioner Paul Murphy ordered Roller Rabbit to "immediately cease all business activity" at its storefront at 44 Centre Street. It appears to be the first time that Nantucket's formula business bylaw - commonly referred to as the chain store ban that island voters approved back in 2006 - has been enforced. It's unclear who submitted the complaint to the town.

"The overlay district does not allow standardized businesses in the historic downtown area," Murphy wrote to the Roller Rabbit owners on July 7. "Roller Rabbit meets the definition of a formula business...you are hereby ordered to immediately cease all business activity at this location related to 'Roller Rabbit'."

Despite the order, however, the store remains open. Roller Rabbit has taken down its sign, changed the name of the business, and modified its offerings inside the store in an attempt to comply with the town's bylaw. It is now called "The General Store by RR," according to a Roller Rabbit executive. 

"In response to recent feedback regarding the town’s bylaws around formula businesses and having discussed with the town directly, we’ve evolved our Centre Street seasonal pop-up into a new multi-brand concept - The General Store by RR," said Carolyn Phillips, the chief marketing officer for Roller Rabbit, in an email to the Current. "This reimagined space features a curated selection of products not only from Roller Rabbit, but also from beloved brands that align with the spirit and lifestyle of Nantucket...We appreciate the dialogue with the town and community, and look forward to continuing to serve locals and visitors with a welcoming retail experience."

The additional brands being sold at the renamed The General Store By RR include Lands End, Dempsey & Carroll, minnow, and Long Wharf Supply Co.

Nantucket Planning and Land Use Services (PLUS) director Leslie Snell said a representative from Roller Rabbit immediately contacted her office after the enforcement letter was sent, "and they are taking steps to address the issue."

"It's my understanding that alterations to the business were being made so that it would no longer qualify as a formula business, but I am unaware as to whether or not that has happened yet," Snell said.

Nantucket's chain store ban, which island residents overwhelmingly approved during the 2006 Annual Town Meeting, applies only in the downtown area that was designated as the Formula Business Exclusion Overlay District in the town's zoning maps. 

The bylaw, first proposed by Nantucket Book Partners owner Wendy Hudson, was implemented "to address the adverse impact of nationwide, standardized businesses on Nantucket's historic downtown area," according to the town code. "The proliferation of formula businesses will have a negative impact on the island's economy, historical relevance, and unique character and economic vitality. These uses are therefore prohibited in order to maintain a unique retail and dining experience. Formula businesses frustrate this goal by detracting from the overall historic island experience and threatening its tourist economy."

Hudson sponsored the bylaw in part as a reaction to the arrival of Ralph Lauren in downtown Nantucket in 2005. The Ralph Lauren location on Main Street is exempt from the ban as it predates its passage.

Under the bylaw, chain stores are considered any retail sales establishment, restaurant, tavern, bar, or take-out food business that "is under common ownership or control or is a franchise" with 10 or more locations anywhere in the world. It further defines chains, or formula businesses, as those with standardized menus or merchandise, logos, color schemes, and interior decor or staff uniforms.

On its website, Roller Rabbit lists 12 store locations, including the one on Nantucket.

Asked whether the bylaw applies to so-called "pop-up" businesses that set up shop temporarily - sometimes just for one summer - Snell stated, "the formula business bylaw applies to any business within the overlay district regardless of duration."

The town's Planning and Land Use Services staff, however, do not automatically review all new businesses for compliance with the formula business bylaw unless a representative from the business contacts them to request a review.

"No town permits are required for retail stores, so there isn't an opportunity for advance review," Snell said. "We review for compliance based on complaints or our own observations."