Jordan's Furniture

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The company was started by Samuel Tatelman, who sold furniture from a truck for a decade until opening a store in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1928. In 1940, his son Edward joined the business. In 1973, Edward's sons Barry and Eliot took over the business. They stopped advertising on the back page of the Waltham paper and started advertising on radio. The origin of the company's name is uncertain; Barry once said that their grandfather chose the name out of a hat. Samuel Tatelman died in 1979,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104980597/obituary-for-samuel-f-tatelman/ |title=Samuel F. Tatelman |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=B10 |date=August 12, 1979 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} and Edward Tatelman died in 1980.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104979772/edward-tatelman-67/ |title=Edward Tatelman, 67 |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=26 |date=September 13, 1980 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}}

In 1983, Barry and Eliot built and opened the Nashua, New Hampshire, location. In 1987, they opened the Avon, Massachusetts, location, creating the largest traffic jam ever recorded on Route 24. Barry and Eliot had to go on the radio to beg people not to come, while customers stood in line for hours waiting for their turn to go into the showroom.

On April 17, 1998, Barry and Eliot opened the then-largest Jordan's Furniture, in Natick, Massachusetts. With {{convert|120000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} of showroom space and a Mardi Gras/Bourbon Street theme, the location introduced Jordan's to the MetroWest area.

In October 1999, the Tatelman brothers sold the company and its four retail locations to conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway.{{cite press release|url=http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/news/oct1199.html |title=JORDAN'S FURNITURE SELLS TO BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC. |publisher=Berkshirehathaway.com |date=1999-10-11 |access-date=2013-02-12}} At the time of the sale, Barry and Eliot said it would enable them to give their children the freedom to choose any career,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104978484/brothers-will-sell-jordans-furniture/ |title=Brothers will sell Jordan's Furniture |first=Kimberly |last=Blanton |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=1 |date=October 12, 1999 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} and would help the Tatelmans to open more stores. Each employee received a financial gift of 50 cents for every hour ever worked at Jordan's.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104978802/berkshire-hathaway-to-acquire-jordans/ |title=Berkshire Hathaway to acquire Jordan's |first=Kimberly |last=Blanton |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=D7 |date=October 12, 1999 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} Operationally, Barry and Eliot remained at the helm as integral parts of the company, while still starring in the brand's radio and television commercials.

The Waltham store closed in October 2004, the same month that the Reading, Massachusetts, store opened, becoming the largest of Jordan's locations.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104980193/jordans-shutdown-marks-eras-end/ |title=Jordan's shutdown marks era's end |first=Joshua |last=Myerov |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=West 7 |date=October 24, 2004 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} It includes a complete showroom, warehouse, dining, and entertainment. In addition, Jordan's opened a {{convert|750000|sqft|m2|abbr=on}} warehouse and office complex in East Taunton, Massachusetts. In 2005, the warehouse underneath the Avon store was converted into the Colossal Clearance Center, containing over {{convert|60000|sqft|m2}} of clearance merchandise.

Barry Tatelman left the company in December 2006, to pursue other interests including helping to produce the Broadway show Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2006/12/barry_tatelman_1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222011000/http://www.boston.com/business/ticker/2006/12/barry_tatelman_1.html|title=Barry Tatelman leaves Jordan's Furniture|archive-date=22 February 2014|website=Boston.com | date = December 21, 2006|first=Chris|last=Reidy|access-date=25 February 2017}}

In December 2015, Jordan's Furniture opened its doors in New Haven, Connecticut, in the building that formerly housed the New Haven Register,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104982267/jordans-furniture-opening-store/ |title=Jordan's Furniture Opening Store |newspaper=Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Connecticut |page=A6 |date=May 8, 2015 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} with Warren Buffett attending the grand opening.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104982054/buffett-to-zanes-celebs-are-out-and-abo/ |title=Buffett to Zanes: Celebs are out and about |newspaper=The Boston Globe |page=B12 |date=December 13, 2015 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} In 2020, the company opened a location at The Maine Mall in South Portland.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104983072/bliss-thru-shopping-column/ |title=Bliss thru Shopping (column) |newspaper=Sun Journal |location=Lewiston, Maine |page=C3 |date=September 11, 2020 |accessdate=July 4, 2022 |via=newspapers.com}} In 2023, the company opened a location at the Westfarms Mall in Farmington, Connecticut.

On August 22, 2002, the IMAX theater at Jordan's Furniture in Natick opened its doors to the public. An IMAX theater was also opened at the Jordan's location in Reading in 2004.

{{main|Jordan's IMAX}}

A ropes course, branded as "It", is featured at three locations: Reading, New Haven, and South Portland.{{cite web |url=https://www.jordans.com/about-us/attractions |title=Attractions |website=jordans.com |accessdate=July 4, 2022}} Each also features a course for children, branded "LittleIt". The company promotes their New Haven location as "the largest indoor ropes course in the world".

The Reading location features "Beantown", which is a "replica of Downtown Boston and its most famous landmarks" made from jelly beans.{{cite web |url=https://www.vdainc.com/portfolio/retail-activation-jordans-furniture/ |title=Beantown at Jordan's Furniture |website=vdainc.com |accessdate=July 4, 2022}}

The Avon store seasonally features "The Enchanted Village", which was originally displayed by Jordan Marsh at their Downtown Crossing store in Boston; Jordan's purchased it from the City of Boston after the city discontinued displaying it.{{cite web |url=https://www.jordans.com/about-us/attractions#enchanted-village |title=Attractions: The Enchanted Village |website=jordans.com |accessdate=July 4, 2022}}

{{asof|2022|7}}, there are dining options within the Jordan's in Avon (Montilio's) and Reading (Fuddruckers).{{cite web |url=https://www.jordans.com/about-us/locations |title=Store Locations & Hours |website=jordans.com |accessdate=July 4, 2022}} Sally's Apizza of New Haven will be added to the Westfarms Mall, Farmington, CT location.

On Mother's Day of 1992, the Motion Odyssey Movie (MOM) opened in the Avon store, after five years of planning and a $2.5 million investment.{{cite web |url=https://www.furnituretoday.com/business-news/jordans-path-success-entertainment-gets-customers-all-way-through-store/ |title=Jordan's path to success: Entertainment that gets customers all the way through the store |first=Clint |last=Engel |website=furnituretoday.com |date=May 1, 2017 |accessdate=July 4, 2022}} A theme ride originally produced by George Lucas, its profits were donated to charity. As of 2015, the ride was still operating, although "only during select school vacation weeks and holidays."{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/culture/entertainment/2015/05/07/for-the-past-23-years-this-has-been-the-hottest-mom-in-massachusetts/ |title=For the Past 23 Years, This Has Been the Hottest Mom in Massachusetts |first=Perry |last=Eaton |website=Boston.com |date=May 7, 2015 |access-date=July 4, 2022}} The ride was later revised and rebranded as "The Polar Express 4-D Experience", last appearing on the company's website in late 2018.{{cite web |url=http://www.jordans.com/attractions/mom |title=Polar Express MOM 4D ride in Jordan's Furniture Avon, MA |website=jordans.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116134225/http://www.jordans.com/attractions/mom |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |via=Wayback Machine}}

The Reading store once featured a trapeze school, which included a {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}}, net-enclosed swing that anyone could sign up to use, along with seating for observers.{{cite book | title=Amazing and Unusual America | publisher=Publications International | last=Bahr |first=Jeff | year=2009 | location=Chicago| page=21 | isbn=978-1-4127-1683-3}}

The Warwick, Rhode Island location offered a free visual experience titled "Splash", in which it contained LED lights flashing to dancing water fountains to all-time music. The attraction was in operation from its grand opening in 2011 to presumably mid-2017.

{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.jordans.com/ Jordan's Furniture website]
• [https://www.berkshirehathaway.com Berkshire Hathaway website]

{{Berkshire Hathaway}}

Category:1918 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:Berkshire Hathaway

Category:Furniture retailers of the United States

Category:Retail companies based in Massachusetts

Category:Retail companies established in 1918

Category:Companies based in Dedham, Massachusetts