Hat sationa!, whose latest home was at the Saratoga Race Course, is moving into the 1,200-square-foot space at 510 Broadway, recently vacated by Elizabeth’s Table. Hat company owner Joyce Locks is excited about this next location. 

“First, I ran the business out of my home; then when it took off, I moved it to the racetrack,” Locks said. “It grew and grew, and then I knew we needed to grow some roots. So I started the store.”

Locks’s hats are made by various companies, available in styles for men, women and children. She stocks every possible type of headgear, from fascinators to newsboys.

“There is something for everyone, at a wide variety of price points,” she said. “We have hats for $50 and hats for $500. If you know your price point, we’ll steer you in the right direction and help you complete your outfit.”

Her store will have one room just for one-of-a-kind hats, which Locks adorns herself to suit each client. She also sells various types of gloves and high-end costume jewelry. 

Renovating a restaurant into a boutique is challenging, she said, almost like starting a construction project from scratch.

“The landlord took out the food bar in the middle of the space, and we are doing everything else,” Locks explained. “We’re replacing the floor, for example.”

She hopes to open the new store around March 13, in time for Easter hats. She won’t sell online, however.

“I think customers need to try on hats, and you can’t do that online,” she said. “When people come into the shop, they will have a unique feeling looking at all the choices around them.”

--Jennie