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Just in time for holiday shopping, the owner of Pandemonium Boutiques got to celebrate the opening of her new Northport location on Fort Salonga Road with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony this month.
Pandemonium sells clothing and accessories, home decor and more. The first location in Babylon is well known in the area for unique pieces and friendly customer service.
On Nov. 18, Pandemonium owner Jacqueline DiDonato and her staff, along with friends and family, were on hand to celebrate in Northport. The second location opened this summer.
“I have been looking for the past two, to two-and-a-half years, on 25A for a location that had parking,” said DiDonato, a longtime East Northport resident. “One day I saw a ‘For Rent’ sign on this location: it has great parking and it’s in an amazing location with a lot of traffic. It’s the size I wanted… It was exactly what I wanted.”
Huntington Town Councilwoman Joan Cergol also stopped by to welcome the business to town.
She was especially happy to see another woman-owned business in the area.
“I have to say, seven out of the last 10 ribbon cuttings I’ve attended were women-owned,” Cergol said. “We want to really celebrate and patronize small businesses whenever we can. They’re the backbone of America. They’re the places we love to go.”
DiDonato opened her original boutique on Deer Park Avenue in Babylon Village 16 years ago.
“Overall it’s been incredible,” DiDonato said. “Owning a business has its ups and downs, as always, but we have more ups than downs. Being open for 16 years, we’ve gone through a recession, we’ve gone through Sandy, which really hit the Babylon community hard, and most recently, COVID.”
Despite those challenges, Pandemonium has thrived with the support of Long Islanders and her loyal staffers, she said.
The staff roster includes Christine Laurinavicius, who has been working at the boutique for 10 years.
Laurinadicius, who had worked in the fashion industry on the manufacturing side, was a frequent shopper in Babylon and had long told herself one day she would work there.
“My dream came true and the timing was right,” Laurinavicius said. “Now we have another location in Northport. I always say Jackie is a mastermind and is excellent with the marketing, merchandising and the planning of everything. She does it all.”
Most of all, the employees, both current and former, become like a family, they say. Many had been high school girls before going on to pursuing careers in the fashion industry. And they stay in touch.
“One of the biggest strengths of my business is that since I’ve opened I always wanted to make sure I supported local artisans and designers,” DiDonato said. “We have had no problem and no hiccup trying to get deliveries. There’s no container stuck out in the ocean for us. Everything is really, very local.”
Click here to follow Pandemonium Boutique on Facebook.
Jackie DiDonato, left, and Christine Laurinavicius have been working together for 10 years at the Pandemonium Boutique, described as a family. 
Pandemonium Boutique celebrated the opening of its second location in Northport on Nov. 18 with a ribbon cutting 
Town of Huntington Councilwoman Joan Cergol, right, stopped by the ribbon cutting to present Pandemonium Boutique owner Jackie DiDonato a Certificate of Recognition 
Pandemonium Boutique celebrated the opening of its second location in Northport on Nov. 18 with a ribbon cutting
