GREENVILLE — An enduring, high-end boutique and café around since the early days of the West End district's revitalization two decades ago is in upheaval as its longtime co-owners face off in a bitter legal battle and one plans to open a new store.
The shakeup comes just two years after Augusta Twenty moved next door from its home of 20 years, marrying its women's clothing boutique with a coffee shop.
In a March 8 lawsuit, founder and co-owner Melanie Paddock accused her partner Jennifer Houde of mishandling funds and intentionally tanking the business while working on opening a competing clothing store.
Speaking with The Post and Courier, Houde deferred to her husband, Bob, who isn't listed in the suit but was part of the business's leadership until recently. He denied the suit's allegations and said Paddock was never intimately involved in running the business.
"Jen took what was a T-shirt and jeans store that was copied from another business in Charleston and turned it into what it is today," he said, adding that his wife led the boutique for nearly two decades.
Paddock opened the boutique in October 2002 and hired Jennifer Houde two years later as a part-time employee. In time, she became a co-owner with Paddock.
Both Jennifer and Bob Houde have stepped down, leaving Paddock running both the boutique and café. Paddock said the lawsuit will have no effect on the operations of the store.
"The lawsuit is an unfortunate but private dispute between the owners," Paddock told The Post and Courier.
Paddock alleges in the suit that Houde repeatedly excluded her from major business decisions, such as taking out a large loan without clearing it with her, and that Houde spent company money on her own personal debts.
"Augusta Twenty has never been about the owners," Paddock said. "It's about our customers and the community that supports us."
The Houdes are already looking toward their next venture — a curated, high-end men and women's clothing store in downtown.
Bob Houde says that the store will be "different than anything in Greenville," featuring unique and interactive technology. He hesitated to say more about what that will look like but said they are planning to open by the 2024 holiday season.
The store will likely be the spiritual successor to Augusta Twenty, he said, thanks to his wife's influence and connections with customers.
"They understand the level of service they're going to get, they understand the quality that they're gonna get just when they walk in the door," he said. "We're going to continue that but even turn it up a little bit."
The couple isn't looking at the West End for their newest store, but they still have a pop-up consignment shop across the street from Augusta Twenty — Les Fils Consignment. Plans are to continue to grow that store online and in brick-and-mortar, he said.
As for what happens next, he said the couple will "leave that up to fate and the community".
"We don't wish anyone ill at all," he said. "We're going to do our thing, and they'll do their thing, and it'll play out as it does."
