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RYE, N.Y. - For the first time in 2011, the Rye Chamber of Commerce held a contest to determine the people's choice for the best businesses in the city.
"We wanted to recognize some of the great businesses here in Rye," said Chamber president Lisa Summa-Guarino. "Sometimes I feel Rye is not recognized enough for it's great businesses."
According to Summa-Guarino, who was born and raised in Westchester, the contest yielded a surprisingly positive turnout.
"I would know because I received all the votes myself," Summa-Guarino said with a smile.
The contest broke down into ten categories based on business type. The categories were Clothing & Shoes, Specialty Store, Casual Dining, Fine Dining, Real Estate, Financial Institution, Services, School, Professional member, and Non-profit. The votes, which were displayed on the Chamber's website, were often accompanied by short captions giving testament to the various merchants.
Laurieanne Fosina, Manager of the 2011 "Best of Rye" winner Shoes 'n More, spoke about what it was like to be recognized.
"It felt very good to win," Fosina said leaning on the checkout counter. "It's nice to know that so many people in town voted for us."
According to Fosina, Shoes 'n More has been in downtown Rye for almost ten years, and is one of the only stores in Rye to focus on kids' and women's shoes.
"People in this town know us. It's a small community so we know a lot of customers on a first name basis," Fosina said.
"Once people come and discover Rye, they'll come back and tell more people about it," Summa-Guarino said in her office at Capital One Bank. Summa-Guarino also expressed optimism about continuing the "Best of Rye" into 2012.
"It was a lot of fun to do, and was a great testament to all the Rye merchants. I would really like to do it again next year," Summa-Guarino added.
For the complete list of the 2011 "Best of Rye" Winners, please visit the Chamber's website at ryechamberofcommerce.com.
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