{"id":60604,"date":"2025-12-04T11:52:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T11:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/60604\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T11:52:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T11:52:10","slug":"new-toy-store-brings-old-fashioned-shopping-experience-to-this-corner-of-staten-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/60604\/","title":{"rendered":"New toy store brings old-fashioned shopping experience to this corner of Staten Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 When Nicole and Joe Chierchio decided to open a boutique toy store on Staten Island\u2019s North Shore, they knew the vibe of their new business had to be magical. So, they painted the antiqued ceilings gold, purchased a full-size carousel horse for the window and filled the space with indie-label toys and games. Griflin\u2019s Toy Emporium was born. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1\/26<\/p>\n

Griflins Toy Emporium opens in West Brighton<\/p>\n

\u201cAs soon as I walked into this space, I knew we had found the perfect spot,\u201d Nicole Chierchio said, standing at the center of her newly opened toy shop, located at 840 Castleton Ave. \u201cNow we just have to make it come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chierchio is not new to the toy store game: She\u2019s owned similar concepts in both Brooklyn and Staten Island, including Pumpkin Patch Kids and Splats & Squiggles Creative Studio. To launch Griflin\u2019s, she leaned on the elements of those businesses that truly resonated with the community. <\/p>\n

\"GriflinsToys from German retailer Hape constitute a large part of the stock at Griflin’s Toy Emporium.Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n

\u201cOur classes were always very popular, so that is going to be a focus here, along with private parties,\u201d she noted, describing programs in art, science and building, as well as a hair-and-nails spa concept. \u201cAnd the products are all from brands that I trust and love \u2014 unique buys that you cannot find anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shelves are already filled with educational toys from Hape, a German brand that makes wooden trains, playsets, musical instruments and more. Melissa & Doug, Blokees and Glo Pals sensory toys round out the store\u2019s collection. <\/p>\n

\"GriflinsValentino plays with Play-doh at Griflins Toy Emporium.Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n

\u201cMy children are my testers,\u201d Chierchio said of her six kids, who range in age from 8 years old to 2 weeks old. \u201cIf they give their approval, I know the toy is a good buy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chierchio said Griflin\u2019s Toy Emporium fills a retail void in West Brighton, a community which hasn\u2019t had its own dedicated toy store since the closure of Smiling Sunny\u2019s in the mid-1990s.<\/p>\n

\"GriflinsThe shelves at Griflin’s Toy Emporium are stocked with many Melissa & Doug products.Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can shop in Target, but it\u2019s just not the same,\u201d the store owner said. \u201cThis is a small business that offers personalized service. If you come in and ask for a gift for a 4-year-old, I will help you choose the perfect present and gift wrap it for free.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chierchio will also soon offer what she called infant \u201cgiftables,\u201d which shoppers can pick up on their way to nearby Richmond University Medical Center. <\/p>\n

\"GriflinsMagnetic books and other educational toys are available at the shop.Staten Island Advance<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so close to the hospital, I thought it would be a good idea to carry balloons, cards and blankets,\u201d she said. \u201cSomething you can just scoop up on your way to visit a newborn.\u201d<\/p>\n

All part of the very old-fashioned vibe she is trying to establish at Griflin\u2019s. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just getting started,\u201d she concluded. \u201cI\u2019m excited about this space and what we\u2019re going to bring to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Businesses in Focus is a column that tells the stories of new Staten Island business owners. If you run a new business on Staten Island and would like to be featured, e-mail jgorman@siadvance.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Griflin\u2019s Toy Emporium at a Glance<\/p>\n

Address: 840 Castleton Avenue<\/p>\n

Phone: 917-450-0090<\/p>\n

Instagram: @griflinstoyemporium<\/p>\n

Facebook: Griflin\u2019s Toy Emporium <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 When Nicole and Joe Chierchio decided to open a boutique toy store on Staten…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":60605,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-60604","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60604","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60604"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60604\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60604"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60604"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60604"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}