At Ambiance in the Sunset, it helps to have famous customers

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This is part of a series on San Francisco’s small businesses.

Few stores have been more impacted by online shopping than boutique dress shops and that is clear at the legacy business Ambiance, known by its black-and-white awning and stores jammed with well-dressed mannequins. 

The original store at 1458 Haight St. opened in 1983, and the second owners duplicated it in Noe Valley, Cow Hollow, the Sunset and on Union Street. Now, only the latter store at 756 Irving St. remains, the sole clothing store among the 15 legacy businesses in the Sunset neighborhood. 

“I watched on Haight Street, these clothing stores folded one by one,” said one of the co-owners, Gwen Lee-Rios. “Literally, there [were] like six dress shops. We were the last one standing.”

Gloria Garret, the original owner, sold the store to Donna and Kieran O’Leary, in 1996. During their tenure, the O’Learys operated the Haight Street location and opened locations in Noe Valley, Cow Hollow at Union Street, and Irving Street. 

The Haight Street store gave Ambiance a buzz after it became popular with the likes of Alanis Morissette, Blondie, and Steven Tyler. But in March 2020, it became Ambiance’s first COVID-19 victim, followed by the Noe Valley and Union Street locations.

When the O’Learys decided to retire, Gwen Lee-Rios, a long time employee, bought the store in 2023. She operates Ambiance with Deb Schuler.

Lee-Rios said she saw customers’ love for Ambiance and recognized she “wanted to see it go on.”

She’s survived by keeping the ambiance of artful clutter, but adapting the offerings to changing competition, she said. 

The store used to sell prom dresses, but better prices online meant that the profit margin got too challenging. They also once offered shoes, but DSW soon beat them with selection and pricing, so footwear also went out the door.

During the pandemic, when in-person shopping was no longer possible, Ambiance turned to selling loungewear. They also rolled out Ambi-care packages, their take on a Stitch Fix-style curation of items. 

Nowadays, younger shoppers are mostly online, but Lee-Rios has found a clientele in working and fashionable moms who appreciate the boutique’s trendy and affordable options.

“You can go anywhere for cute clothes, so why would they come here? The answer is us, because we are knowledgeable, and we will style them in a way that they’re comfortable.”

Customers can determine their own engagement with stylists, whether they want to set up a one-on-one appointment, seek help with a specific outfit, or browse independently. 

The tighter profit margins means she does a bit of everything: Buying, managing accounts and working the floor to help customers. She now oversees six employees. 

She doesn’t take the longevity of the store for granted, especially after witnessing firsthand so many similar boutiques closing their doors. 

In fact, according to the Inner Sunset Merchants Association, Ambiance is the only remaining dedicated women’s boutique among the roughly 125 merchants in the cohort, 20 of which are shopping destinations.

Because the fashion business is fast, Lee-Rios’ role requires style foresight. “Next month, I will be shopping for holiday and next spring,” she said of making orders for merchandise well in advance.

Recent tariffs have led to previously determined prices of clothing coming from China and Mexico to be brought back in question, requiring renegotiation. Still, the store persists, its roughly six employees working to offer the best possible selection and customer service.

As a seasoned store director, she says fluidity and creativity are cornerstones of maintaining a successful business and keeping customers happy. 

“I think it’s important to remember your clients and not buy what you like, right?” she said. “As a business owner, you have to think outside the box sometimes, and especially if you’re trying to survive and you only have so much.”  

She’s learned to work within the budget and broaden her offerings beyond her own preferences to best encompass the customers’ tastes.

As Lee-Rios noted, their slogan remains true after over 30 years: “at Ambiance, we really like you.”