Fishs Eddy (retailer)

Fishs Eddy was founded in 1986, when founders and current owners Julie Gaines and David Lenovitz got lost in Upstate New York and stumbled upon a small town named Fishs Eddy.[1] Gaines and Lenovitz discovered an old barn during that trip that had stockpiled restaurant dishware that had survived a fire.[2] They offered to buy the whole lot, took it back to their apartment in Manhattan and used the inventory to open a store at 889 Broadway, near Union Square.[3]

A graphic novel about the history of the story, by Gaines and illustrated by her and Lenovitz's son, called Minding the Store, was published in 2018. [4]

Fishs Eddy is known for offering archive and antique dinnerware, including plates and cups purchased from American Airlines and the Syracuse China Corporation.[5][6] The company also produces some of its own dinnerware, with an aesthetic often called quirky.[7] Its product line includes dinnerware with faces of American politicians and a skyline of New York City.[8] As of September 2018, the store was considered a top retailer of wine decanters.[9]

The store has also released dinnerware and other items created in collaboration with retailers and celebrities, including Alan Cumming, Todd Oldham, Amy Sedaris and West Elm.[10]