By Brigid Edmunds, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — The site of a landmark downtown newsstand now houses a cellphone store.
The brick storefront still sports the “Leo Matus” letters above the door, but inside stands a new mobile carrier.
Preferred Wireless Consultants, headquartered in Harrisburg, opened a Boost Mobile location Monday at the former Leo Matus newsstand at 46 Public Square. Jeremy Saussaman, district manager of operations for Preferred Wireless Consultants, said the store was doing a “soft opening” to get business started.
“We are expanding the company,” Saussaman said.
Saussaman said Preferred Wireless has 30 stores in central Pennsylvania and chose Public Square due to its pedestrian traffic patterns.
“There’s good foot traffic,” Saussaman said.
Currently, the store has two employees, but is hoping to have four on staff soon.
“We like to have a least three to four employees,” Saussaman said.
Maylynn Gonzalez, of Wilkes-Barre, said she worked for other Boost Mobile locations in New Jersey, but moved to the area to be closer with her family and work at this location.
“I like it a lot better here,” she said.
Once the store expands its inventory, which Saussaman said he is expecting to happen this week, the company plans to do a grand opening with events and giveaways.
The store is open noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday.
