Isle of Wight women open ‘Salty Shell’ gift shop in Suffolk
Published 9:57 am Tuesday, June 3, 2025
From left are Sallie Dunleavy, owners Betsy Brake and Patti Hornsby, Suffolk City Councilman John Rector and Suffolk Sheriff David Miles.
Patti Hornsby and Betsy Brake stand outside the entrance to the new Salty Shell at Bennetts Creek gift shop, formerly known as Fireflies.
From left are Suffolk Assistant Director of Economic Development Deanna Holt, Salty Shell co-owner Patti Hornsby, Suffolk City Councilman John Rector, Suffolk Sheriff David Miles, co-owner Betsy Brake and Economic Development Director Janet Days. (Submitted photos)
Two Isle of Wight County women have partnered to open a gift shop in Suffolk.
Elizabeth “Betsy” Gwaltney Brake, who was born and raised in Smithfield, and Patti Hornsby, who recently relocated to Carrollton from Richmond, are the proprietors of “The Salty Shell on Bennetts Creek,” which recently opened in a converted 1930s-era gas station on the east bank of Bennett Creek off Bridge Road.
Brake describes the business as an “upscale retail” outlet offering locally and regionally sourced art, pottery and other handmade wares. Everything is made in the United States and most items are from East Coast-based artists and crafters, including Suffolk-based Horseshoe Point Honey.
But it’s not a consignment store. The concept is more similar to an art gallery that exhibits work by multiple artists, or the multi-vendor Hamtown Mercantile outlet that operates in Smithfield out of the former 1989 George Delk department store on Main Street.
There’s a section of the store that Brake calls a “man cave,” another area with items geared toward children and a special events and wedding section.
The business has housed many tenants over the decades, including a photography studio and a heating, ventilation and air-conditioning contractor. Most recently, it was another gift store known as “Fireflies.” Brake said she and Hornsby purchased the building in January and recently completed several months of renovations. The nearly century-old building has new flooring, new plumbing, new ceilings, paint and woodwork.
The store officially opened as The Salty Shell on April 4 and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 31. Attendees at the ribbon-cutting included Suffolk City Councilman John Rector, Assistant Director of Economic Development Deanna Holt and Economic Development Director Janet Days.
The store is open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:57 p.m. on June 3 to correct that the co-owner of the Salty Shell is Patti Hornsby, not Patsy.
