Hello, Hollywood
Retail icon pursues show biz career
By Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, December 31, 2006
Avon, Mass. — Barry Tatelman, who has become a cultural icon in New England for the quirky advertising he and his brother, Eliot, do for Jordan's Furniture, is leaving to pursue a show business career in Hollywood.
According to Eliot, Barry Tatelman plans to produce a Broadway play and a television series.
The brothers, third-generation leaders of the popular store chain now owned by Berkshire Hathaway, are known for their gentle spoofing of national or international advertising campaigns, and for turning their stores into fun destinations with festive attractions, including a Jelly Belly theme, IMAX theaters and a trapeze school, which bring customers from far away.
The brothers have been on radio and TV in the Boston area for 35 years and are well known in the area, even though Barry hasn't been on the air for over a year.
"(His departure) hasn't been announced. It was kind of a slow way to let the public adjust itself," said Eliot.
Eliot also has been running the stores while Barry was involved in advertising. Eliot will continue to make commercials.
Eliot, acting as the stores' spokesman, said his brother "found golf quite a few years ago and became really into golf. He's got a house in Florida on the golf course and one in (Martha's) Vineyard on a golf course. And he's dabbling around with money in Broadway shows and some things he always wanted to do."
Eliot added, "I still like the business; it's still in my blood, (even though) the challenges are getting harder and harder. My sons are in it and have been for quite a few years. I'm going to keep going for a while.
"Meantime, the company's in great shape and I'm having fun. We're looking to expand and we're working on some great deals that I can't tell you about. And I've got Warren (Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway) behind me."
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