Owners of Helen Hat Company in Georgia open hat shop in Highlands
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Photo by Christopher Lugo/Staff Aubrey Agnew and Kim Rogoski at the new Highlands Hatter store on N. 4th Street in Highlands.
After stumbling on Highlands, Kim Rogoski and her husband Rob are expanding their hat store business from Helen, Ga., with the Highlands Hatter.
“We came up on a drive one day and thought Highlands was beautiful,” Rogoski said. “We loved the town, and I wanted a bigger store. It seemed like the perfect timing. My husband told me that if there was an empty building in Highlands that has a sign on it, then we will call. Sure enough, we landed right in front of this building and there was a sign.”
From a young age, Rogoski remembers being surrounded by hats.
“My grandfather always wore hats,” Rogoski said. “He was a real dapper guy and was also a chef. So, I played around with his chef hats. They have always been a good memory for me.”
Before getting in the hat business, Rogoski worked for Walmart distribution for 28 years.
“I always talked about one day owning a hat store because hat stores made me happy,” Rogoski said. “When you walk in, it’s nostalgic and new all at the same time. Everybody has a mother, father or grandfather who wore a hat. They’ve always been in style, but people are now starting to wear them more. People are finding the utility in hats.”
After retiring in 2018, and her husband being layed off, Rob Rogoski told his wife it was now or never, which led the opening of the Helen Hat Company.
“We moved back and forth between Florida and Georgia a lot,” Rogoski said. “My husband was let go and he asked me, ‘What do you want to do now?’ The hat store was always just talk. He told me it was now or never. When he said that, it really resonated with me, because he was right. What was the worst thing that could happen?”
From babies to adult hats, Rogoski said it has been a lot of fun at the Helen store.
“People seem to really enjoy the Helen store,” Rogoski said. “We carry sizes from little noggins to big noggins. We carry some really great brands like Stetson, American Hat Maker and Country Gentleman. So, there is something for everybody.”
Rogoski said the best part about owning a hat store is people showing their personality once they put the hat on.
“Every hat that we sell we take a picture with the new owner and post it on all of our social media sites,” Rogoski said. “That has really been one of the best things because you wouldn’t believe the facial expressions, pride and spirit that comes out of people when they put that hat on. It does something to them. Especially when people come in and say that they can never find the right hat and then they find it. You get some characters in the store.”
Just like at their Helen store, there will be a photo op for shoppers in Highlands Hatter. In Helen, they have a giant sasquatch named Biggie, but in Highlands, they have a big crescent moon dedicated to Rob Rogoski’s great grandfather.
“Rob’s great grandfather inspired the big paper moon,” Rogoski said. “This picture of him is at the Chicago Fair and that really inspired the logo. Look at him with his hat, looking proud. People can sit in front of the paper moon and take a picture with it and their new hat.”
One thing that Rogoski is looking forward to by serving the Highlands community is letting people show their “hattitude.”
“Everybody shines when they put on a hat,” Rogoski said. “They get to show their hattitude. We are really looking forward to getting in this community and interacting with everyone that comes through.”
The Highlands Hatter is hiring a full-time and part-time sales associate. For more information, call Rogoski at 352-584-2932.
Rogoski said they hope to open within two weeks. The Highlands Hatter is located at 221 N. 4th Street in Highlands.
- By Christopher Lugo