A downtown boutique was welcomed to the Panora Chamber of Commerce Wednesday.

The Chamber ambassadors presented a plaque recognizing Bella Sorella as a new member to the Chamber. Bella Sorella, which is Italian for beautiful sister, was opened in May of 2017 by Stacy Benton who originally hails from Louisiana. Benton says it’s been great working in the Panora community, “The people around here have been very open and been very welcoming and have supported us very much so and we’ve just made some great friends. We love the people when they come in and we have visitors that come in during the summer because it is a lake town so we get to see lots of people from lots of different areas. So it’s always fun and we’ve just got some great customers.”

Benton says she tries to cater to women of all ages and make them feel welcome in her store, “And then we also like to help them arrange outfits and stuff if they feel like they need some help in that area or just feel pretty when they walk out. You know we want everybody to like what they’re wearing because it gives you that self esteem boost when you feel like you look good in something.”

Chris Arganbright with the Panora Chamber said the City did not have clothing retail businesses for a long time so she’s glad to welcome Bella Sorella as another retail offering for residents.