Longtime Lovington residents would know the building as the old Noack Western Wear store, once an iconic staple of the small town. It was situated right in the heart of Lovington, across from the Ave D park where high school kids through the generations would hang and pass their evenings.

Dormant since the close of the western wear store, the building will see new life on Saturday with the grand opening of ANA 51, a clothing and gift boutique owned and operated by Dominika Hynes.

Hynes is inviting the community to come out and see her new storefront at 703 W. Ave D between 1:00 and 6:00 PM on Saturday. There will be snacks and plenty of instagramable moments for everyone who stops by to get a look at the space and her selection of unique and stylish products.

“We are always excited for any new businesses to open in Lovington,” said Evelyn Holguin, executive director of the Lovington Economic Development Center (EDC). “Having these boutiques and clothing stores open gives the community options to chose from without having to make a run 22 miles down the road leaving these revenues in another community.”

Thanks to grants from the EDC, the building was able to undergo important renovations to update its electrical system to modern standards and make the restroom ADA-compliant. Through the Façade and Infrastructure Improvement Grant program, the EDC has helped many Lovington businesses improve their premises and renovate vacant buildings in an effort to beautify Lovington and bring new economic activity to the town.

Anyone driving down Ave D recently, one of the main roads through town, may have noticed the new activity in the long-vacant space and wondered about what might be coming. Now that it’s official and an opening date is announced, they are welcome to come by and see what ANA 51 has to offer.

Fashionable clothing is the centerpiece of the ANA 51 boutique, but customers can also find an array of accessories and gifts there as well, including jewelry, candles, bags and home décor.

Though the storefront is new, ANA 51 has been around as an online store for two years. Opening a physical location was always a goal for Hynes from the beginning, and now it’s become a reality.

“I would like to just say THANK YOU to the community for supporting me,” Hynes said in a statement to the Lea County Tribune. “I hope to bring something wonderful to our community. It has not been easy, but I feel that it will be worth it!”

Though Lovington has had its share of economic struggles lately, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic, it is still home to many locally-owned brick & mortar shops, from the well-known standards to up-and-coming startups.

Local businesses are very important to a town’s economy, particularly one of Lovington’s size. Not only does shopping local keep tax money in the community, but the operating costs and worker salaries get largely put back into the local economy as well. “One of a kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of Lovington,” noted Holguin. “Local business owners that live and love Lovington are less likely to leave and are more invested in the future of our whole community.”

Even without a physical presence, ANA 51 has already gathered plenty of loyal customers and fans around town. Many have enthusiastically shared the grand opening announcement on social media. “Go check out this super cute store on Saturday!” Lovington local Miranda Stoneman Kim posted on Facebook.

“It’s really special to see a cute shop like hers open up in the space,” said Alma Griffin who worked at Noack Western Wear in the 80s. “The store always had a lot of great memories for me, and now a new generation will make their own memories there.”

Griffin added that she’s excited to attend the grand opening on Saturday. There will be sliders and desserts at the event, along with door prizes. Following the opening, ANA 51 will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9:00 to 6:00. They will be closed Sundays and Mondays.

The ANA 51 name is inspired by Hynes’s late grandmother who she described as “the most inspiring, encouraging and loving person.” Not only is the name a way to honor her grandmother, but starting her own boutique happened in large part because of her grandmother’s encouragement. “She knew I always wanted to open a boutique because I see the beauty in all things. When she passed I knew I wanted to do something to keep her close.”

Hynes, along with help from her family, spent over a month renovating the space, sourcing new merchandise and preparing for the opening. While there are still some remnants of the building’s early days as a western wear store, the new look fits the ANA 51 brand perfectly with its signature pink pastel accentuated throughout the interior.

It has been a long journey for Hynes, but one that would surely make her grandmother proud.