Le Jeune Upholstery was established in 1971 by Osmundo and Connie Alvarez, a Cuban couple with dreams of starting and running what would soon become a household name in the South Florida upholstery industry. Originally located on Le Jeune Road in Coral Gables, the upholstery shop and its tools, business name, and cargo van were purchased by the Alvarez’s in a financially difficult time of their li
ves. Through much sacrifice, they were able to come up with the funds to buy the business in a short amount of time. Being fairly new to the country, Osmundo still had not mastered the English language, so they started working together to alleviate the language barrier. The business started mainly with reupholstering and restoration of fine antiques. As a team, Osmundo would do the heavier labor such as stripping the fabric, cutting and upholstering new patterns while Connie was mainly in charge of sewing the patterns together and servicing the clients. As a start-up, they also were the ones that provided the delivery services for all the pieces. They diligently worked 7 days a week to ensure the business’ success. Connie even helped Osmundo with deliveries while she was pregnant with her youngest son Alex. As firm believers in customer service, they promised every delivery would be made on time no matter the obstacle. Eventually, Le Jeune Upholstery evolved to include custom tailoring and manufacturing of furniture, but still maintains its roots in reupholstering commercial and residential projects. The business now mostly caters to interior designers, architects, purchasing companies, etc, but also welcomes walk-in customers. As part of their services, they offer a “fitting” to every customer that orders custom furniture prior to construction, and then a final sampling in muslin before the furniture is finished and delivered. The couple’s three children Gerry, Fernando, and Alex run the business now, supported by a large cast of employees ranging from carpenters to installers, and every department in between. Osmundo and Connie are retired, but still open and close the shop 5-6 days a week and continually stay active in the business. They are proud that from their humble beginnings, they have been able to build one of the most renowned upholstery and furniture manufacturing shops in the US.
