Sarasota big and tall retailer to shutter after nearly 50 years

A store that has been part of Sarasota’s retail landscape for nearly half a century is going out of business. King James Big & Tall will shutter at the end of October after 47 years in operation.

“Competition from big box stores and online retailers has made continuing unsustainable,” Ron Hudson, co-owner of King James Big & Tall, says in an email to the Business Observer.

Businessman Jim Montoney opened the first King James Big & Tall store in Sarasota in 1978 at the old Snelling Plaza, he says.

“Mr. Montoney saw the need for the larger man to be outfitted [as] nicely as the average size man,” Hudson says. “In the beginning, there was a captive audience — you didn’t have the competition from the big box stores and online that you do now.”

In the decades that followed, other King James Bing & Tall stores opened in Fort Myers, Naples, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Orlando and Bradenton. By 1996, there were 12 King James Big & Tall stores across Florida, according to Montoney’s obituary; he died in 2021. All the stores have since closed.

In 1992, the Sarasota Big & Tall moved to its current location at 4333 South Tamiami Trail. The store carries brands like Tommy Bahama, Nautica and Columbia and offers personalized service, Hudson says.

When Jim Montoney retired in 2015, ownership of the King James Big & Tall in Sarasota was taken over by his son, Matthew Montoney, and Hudson, who was the general manager. Both are still active with the company, Hudson says.

“We want to sincerely thank each and every one who supported us over the years,” Hudson says. “We are blessed to have so many wonderful customers and memories.”

King James Big & Tall is not alone in its decision to close amid changing consumer behavior. Retailers including JoAnn and Forever 21 also shuttered brick-and-mortar locations this year.

Already, King James Big & Tall has begun a going-out-of-business sale, which will continue through Oct. 25.

This article originally appeared on sister site BusinessObserverFL.com.