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BUSINESS
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Sisters keep mom’s legacy alive with shop
BY ALEX GALLAGHER Progress Staff Writer
For nearly 44 years, The Paper Place has been selling cards, invitations and a myriad of gift options.
The business started as the expansion of a Texas-based franchise in 1978 that Judy Hendricks thought would be a perfect fit in Scottsdale.
However, franchisors knew that running the business by herself would be difficult for Judy, so they approached Nancy Silver to help her mother out.
“When mom had this idea, the franchisors came to me and asked if I wanted to do this with my mom,” said Silver. “Then we had about a three-month conversation as to what could go wrong. I finally said, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen so I might as well give it a shot.’”
Mom and daughter settled on an 800-square- foot space near 5th Avenue that they describe as “the artsy side” of Marshall Way.
The space operated as a franchise for about two years before the franchisors stepped away, leaving the space to Silver and her mom.
“The franchise was based in Texas, so it felt like we were the step-child since we were in Arizona and that was why the franchise dissolved,” Silver said.
Together, the duo kept the shop going all throughout the 80’s, a time that Silver looks back on fondly.
“We would always leave everything at the store and, thankfully, mom and I hardly argued,” Silver said.
At the beginning of the 90’s, the two
Nancy Silver and her sister, Betty Hendricks, run The Paper Place on Marshall Way in Scottsdale, which their mother started in 1978. Helping to keep customers en-
tertained is their dog Oliver. (David Minton/Progress Staff Photographer)
seePAPER page 21
Puzzle Rides add mental challenge to holidays
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Progress Staff Writer
Old Town Scottsdale’s Puzzle Rides is putting a holiday spin on its mobile escape room-style scavenger hunt in “Scottsdazzle.”
Teamwork, combined with elements of the route, are used to solve a series of puzzles via golf cart before time runs out. From ages 5 to 85, there is something for everyone.
“Whether you’re new to Puzzle Rides or have tried us before, our holiday excursions are an absolute blast,” Puzzle Rides founder Katie Dufort said. “We have one that’s family friendly, perfect for the kiddos, and another that’s tailored to adults where they have to think while they drink.”
Both experiences combine a scavenger hunt through Old Town Scottsdale, a jolly golf cart driver and lots of holiday cheer. First, the adults-only Jingle Bar Hop is a two-hour “portable pub” adventure that invites up to 10 guests to visit local bars and try mystery drinks while solving a puzzle with clues tied to popular holiday music (“Silver Bells” route) or classic TV holiday specials (“Reindeer Games” route).
“This is, by far, our most popular ride because attempting to solve a puzzle while enjoying a cold one is inevitably a good time,” Dufort said. “From checking out a new bar our riders never knew existed to learning something about a building they’ve seen a million times, Jingle Bar Hop offers entertainment at every turn.”
A family-friendly option is Hijacked by Elves. On this experience, Santa’s Naughty and Nice list has been stolen by a mischievous elf. Riders then use clues to track down the elf and bring him to justice during the adventure.
“If you have family coming to town that you haven’t seen for a couple of years be-
Cheryl Sumners, Karen Churchard, Eleanor Brillo, Jackie Contaldo and Holli Shannon go through their bag of clues trying to figure out what their first destination will
be for Puzzle Rides. (David Minton/Staff Photographer)
decided to expand their business by packing up the shop and moving to its current, larger space at 4130 N. Marshall Way, near 3rd Avenue, in 1992.
Not long after moving into the space, the staff grew when Silver’s younger sister, Betsy Hendricks, joined.
Less than two years later, however, Judy passed away in 1994 after a battle with cancer.
“It was nice during those two years or so because we had a tie breaker whenever we disagreed,” Betsy said with a laugh.
Since then, Nancy and Betsy have not just sold paper products and gifts, but also have honored their mother’s legacy.
“Not every day but there are still some days where people will come in and talk about our mom and how great she was,” Hendricks said.
And so the sisters try to honor their mom by offering the same attentive care she gave customers.
“We’re very hands-on and we’ll walk around with a customer until they’re happy, Silver said. “The best example was back when we were up the street near the Elaine Horwitch gallery, Elaine told my mom that she had sold a $50,000 painting in 15 minutes – to which my mom replied that she had sold a $1.50 card in 45 minutes.
“It’s all about making the customer happy.”
Aside from offering stellar customer service, the sisters offer candy to customers – who also are often greeted by Hendricks’ shop dog, Oliver, that she adopted through Silver’s nonprofit, “Two Pups Wellness Fund.”
“When customers come in here it’s fun, friendly, our shop dog, Oliver, is running around and it’s a lot of happy chaos,” Silver said.
As the shop entered its fourth decade of business, Silver and Hendricks had figured they had seen just about everything.
Then the sisters experienced something that was new to just about everyone – a pandemic.
“Having to shut down the store and having events like weddings halted really shook our store,” said Hendricks.
After re-opening, the two had to alter their business to conform to the digital age of retail, which Hendricks admits has been the biggest challenge.
“Over the past few months, people got more into online shopping which has been our biggest challenge,” Hendricks said. “We have an online store but it’s hard since we’re all about the physical experience.”
Additionally, The Paper Place predicates its business on event announcements.
When events like weddings and birthday parties were sidelined, the two were fearful for the future of their business.
Though the sisters have received pandemic relief aid, they are still feeling the effects of last year’s economic chaos.
“We were fortunate enough to get the PPP loans that got us through that but we’re still not out of this,” Hendricks said. “Now we’re starting to feel the effects of the issues of the supply chain. Companies that were once so reliable don’t answer their phones so we can check our orders and everything is harder.”
On top of that, the two fear the trend toward virtual communication as opposed to handwritten sentiments.
“Our business is predicated on sending invitations and writing letters but now people are sending emails and evites.” Hendricks said.
Hendricks and Silver are nonetheless optimistic about their business’ future – and keeping their mom’s legacy alive.
“We do hope for a good holiday season and we do have several wedding invitations heading out in 2022,” Hendricks said.
Information: thepaperplaceaz.com
PUZZLE ���� page 18
cause of the pandemic and you don’t want to sit around and stare at each other, book Hijacked by Elves,” Dufort said. “Kids love it, parents love it and even grandparents love it because you’re on the go, you’re outside and you’re laughing so hard, you’re guaranteed to have a good time.”
Puzzle Rides was created right before Arizona shut down in 2020. Before that, Dufort operated a golf cart taxi service in Old Town, shuttling people from bar to bar. When the wave of COVID-19 took business owners out at the knees, Dufort knew she had to pivot.
“I’m a historian who obviously loves history. We had the golf carts standing by, and I’m a big fan of puzzles,” Dufort said. “I decided to put it all together during the unlikeliest of times, and Puzzle Rides was born in the middle of a pandemic.”
The concept proved people were trying to do activities together while socially distancing. Riding on a golf cart with those they’d been quarantining with allows for a safe and fun experience outside the home.
“An added layer was all of the partnerships we have with other local businesses,” Dufort said. “We truly wanted to bring our customers through the doors of other establishments in hopes of
boosting business after what was one of the hardest times we’d all been through together.”
Puzzle Rides also offers signature favorites year-round, such as Hijacked by Science, during which riders must stop a mad scientist from unleashing a powerful weapon; Pirate’s Treasure Adventure, where pirate garb can be worn as riders swashbuckle their way through town;
Cards with Elves on them are among the items in a bag of clues riders need to go through to fi gure out what their destination will be for Puzzle Rides. (David
Minton/Staff Photographer)
and Wild West Heist, where loot hidden by bank robbers back in the day must be found in a timely fashion. Want a little spooky fun? Ghost Riders weaves true tales with tall tales in a nighttime-only ride.
“Our adventures are always evolving, so you can expect to find something for everyone,” Dufort said. “We continue to add new rides for each of the big holidays, and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. Hopefully our customers see Puzzle Rides as an easy way to escape their daily lives and connect with their family and friends in a way they never have before.”
Puzzle Rides also recently launched team-building relays for groups of up to 80 people.
