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By By Jill Kelley, Staff Writer 9:14 AM Friday, July 22, 2011

OAKWOOD — The Shops of Oakwood is getting a new business Aug. 1, and it is one with a long history in the Miami Valley.

Mousaian Oriental Rugs, which sells handmade Oriental rugs, opened as a small specialty shop in Dayton in 1922. This will be the fourth move for the family-owned business, which most recently set up shop on Brown Street near the University of Dayton.

Jennifer Weaver of Mousaian said the shop wasn’t actively looking for a new location, but the opportunity to move to The Shops of Oakwood presented itself.

“It is a great retail location,” Weaver said.

Mousaian will move in at 2419 Far Hills Ave., just a few doors down from another rug store, Fazel Rug Gallery.

“Fazel is a friendly competitor,” Weaver said. “Our product is very similar but we have a family business that has been in the area since the 1920s, and that’s something we are very proud of.”

Fazel Aria, owner of Fazel Rug Gallery at 2405 Far Hills, said he isn’t too worried about Mousaian moving in because his business has weathered 15 years at that location — and previous competition.

Aria said Nazari Rug & Interiors was at the Mousaian location a few years ago, but they lasted just a few years.

“They were trying to push us out of business, but it didn’t work,” Aria said of Nazari, which left The Shops of Oakwood in 2006. “It reduced (the income at) both of our businesses.”

He said he has known the folks at Mousaian for a while, and that they are nice people.

“We have a huge selection of high-end rugs in the city and a lot of antiques, and nobody in town has that,” Aria said. “We have a pretty good customer base, and have been surviving during these tough years.”

Jay Weiskircher, deputy city manager of Oakwood, said The Shops in general have been weathering the recession well.

He noted that Tropical Smoothie Café opened in that strip in February, followed by Select Start Café in March.

Weiskircher said he wonders how Mousaian will fare where Nazari failed, but said Mousaian’s history should help them.

Mousaian’s owners agreed, noting they are looking forward to celebrating their centennial at that location.

The store will be open for business in Oakwood on Aug. 1, and plans to have an open house in the near future.

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