Posted by Chair King Backyard Store

This year, Chair King Backyard Store celebrates 75 years of business, and in honor of our 75th anniversary, we’re taking a look back at our storied history. From our founding in 1950 to what we have planned for 2025, learn how we became the largest outdoor furniture retailer in the country and what we’re looking forward to next year and beyond.

In a period marked by new construction following the post-war boom, the rise of suburban living and entertaining at home became a staple of American life, and Chair King was there to furnish the influx of newly built homes with quality furniture. Couches, bedroom sets, office chairs, and more could be found at our one location, a small store just off Kirby Drive. The first Chair King was owned by the Zimmer Family, a husband-and-wife duo with dreams of expanding the brand. Houston’s economy during this period supported that dream.

The petrochemical industry made Bayou City its headquarters, and the city flourished. Young professionals and new families flocked to the city for jobs and new opportunities. This was the same decade the Houston Chronicle ran a story titled “Now You Can Carpet Your Patio.” It detailed how to expand your home’s living area to the outdoors with indoor luxuries like weather-resistant rugs, rattan furniture, and an update on a backyard classic–a porch swing from Chair King, now with a new, floral canopy.

In 1959, Hurricane Debra hit Houston and changed everything. With winds up to 105 mph and heavy rainfall, the storm caused widespread flooding that shut down highways, airports, and shuttered businesses for days. It was an eye-opening experience for the Zimmer family, who began to take a critical look at their merchandise after seeing how their products fared during the storm. Quality became a priority for Chair King as more commercial-grade furniture products became common stock. We took a note from our city and rebuilt stronger, closing out the decade as an outdoor furniture retailer that made value, service, and quality cornerstones of our brand.

It was a decade of celebration. Chair King announced its 10-year anniversary with a new location off of Kirby Drive, an exciting achievement for the Zimmer family, who had their eyes set on expansion since they founded the brand in 1950. The Houston Chronicle picked up the anniversary story and ran it in the Sunday paper, calling Chair King, “...the only one of its kind in this area.”

The year was 1970, and business was steady. Chair King outgrew its first location, that quaint store off Kirby Drive, and relocated to a newer, larger storefront in Town and Country Village. It was another step forward, but twenty years had passed since Chair King’s founding. The hustle and grind of managing a business didn’t spare the Zimmer family, and in 1971, Mr. Zimmer fell ill and passed away shortly after. Mrs. Zimmer was devastated, but she had two showrooms to run. She did what she could, but she’d always had a partner before and the work was never easy. That same year, she sold the business to Dean Eddison, the Zimmer family’s long-time insurance agent, and retired.

Mr. Eddison ran both Chair King stores until 1973 when he sold the company to Marvin Barish, a CPA with entrepreneurial dreams. Mr. Barish was no stranger to retail, having worked 23 years in his extended family’s jewelry and camera store while earning his CPA license. Like the Zimmer family before him, he saw what Chair King was and could be again–a family business and a community provider. He took the keys and a leap of faith. Marvin managed the larger store on Westheimer while his daughter, Jackie Barish, ran the Town and Country location.

By 1975, Marvin had already made business contacts around the globe, importing new materials, styles, and products, unlike any others on the market. Business was booming. Chair King’s two-person team had doubled in size in 1976 adding two more members and a second delivery truck to keep up with growing customer demand. All the pieces were falling into place for expansion along with the opportunities and challenges that come with it.

The 1980’s served as a family reunion of sorts for the brand. David Barish, Marvin’s son, and Jackie’s brother, joined the family business. Marvin put him to work in the warehouse located behind the Westheimer store. David did everything from loading trucks to making deliveries before he was promoted to a sales position and then quickly became the store’s manager. This same year, Chair King Backyard Store’s first circular arrived in hundreds of Houston residents’ mailboxes, promoting the largest outdoor furniture selection in Texas. Word was getting out.

By 1983, computers became more common in office settings, and Marvin wouldn’t be left behind. Chair King Backyard Store had made a name for itself in the local community as a retailer that stocked the latest styles and trendy outdoor furniture products and accessories, cutting-edge technology was no different. A computer was installed in every store and a new inventory system was put in place that revolutionized how the brand did business. This early adoption allowed Chair King Backyard Store to expand further. In 1984, Chair King moved its headquarters from the Westheimer store to 4701 Blalock Street, a 60,000-square-foot distribution center complete with eight loading docks.

That same year, Jackie launched Leisure Collections, Chair King Backyard Store’s first commercial-grade and designer outdoor furniture brand. There was a hole in the commercial market at the time, and Leisure Collections filled it. By the end of the decade, the two brands allowed the Barish family to open two more Chair King Backyard Store showrooms in Houston and the surrounding area, bringing the brand’s total store count to four, with more on the way.

In 1990, Chair King celebrated its 40th anniversary the only way it knew how–with its first TV commercial. “We Make It Easy…to Take It Easy” was our tagline, and it defined the 90s. It was in our showrooms, printed on our circulars, and in all our advertising, which saw an uptick in this decade. The brand wanted to grow, and it did.

By 1996, Chair King Backyard Store had expanded to two new cities: Austin and San Antonio. We were living up to our title as the largest outdoor furniture provider in Texas. Our buyers were dispatched around the world again to find new and exciting furniture styles and materials to introduce to our new markets. That same year, we launched our first website. Customers could learn information about our latest sales, find a showroom, and browse a select offering of products, but they couldn’t order online–that was soon to come.

By the end of the decade, Chair King had opened four more locations around Houston, bringing their total store count to ten, but they weren’t the only brand making moves. Leisure Collections was becoming a household name in the Houston design community, and in 1999, they moved into a larger showroom to better showcase their ever-growing selection of designer outdoor furniture. And they wouldn’t be the only ones changing spaces.

No one could have predicted Fortunoff Backyard Store’s explosive return, but the brand wasn’t the only thing to come out of the northeast. In 2010, Michelle Weisman, Jackie’s daughter, left a career in fashion design in New York City to become the first Visual Merchandiser for Chair King and Fortunoff Backyard Store. With 23 stores across both brands and few store layout changes over the years, the company wanted to update its look and enhance the in-store experience for customers. Michelle, who also grew up working in the stores, set out to show our products in their best light and make our expansive selection more accessible to customers.

In 2016, Joe Weisman was promoted to Executive Vice President of Chair King Backyard Store and worked closely with David and Curt, now President and Chief Operations Officer, to realize the company’s expansion goals. They opened three more Chair King locations and six Fortunoff Backyard Stores. This same year, Chair King Backyard Store became a specialty retailer, only selling patio furniture and outdoor accessories. No more dinettes, barstools, and indoor casual furniture. They had established an identity and leaned into it. “Chair King Backyard Store” was more than a name above the door; it was our history, our expertise. We became known for our quality, selection, and service, which expanded over time to the 8 Great Reasons to Shop at Chair King Backyard Store.

Chair King Backyard Store and Fortunoff Backyard Store closed out this decade with more growth. By 2019, there were 22 Chair King showrooms in Texas and 27 Fortunoff Backyard Store locations across the northeast. Both brands were flourishing, but while business was booming, a crisis was unfolding across the globe.

The United States was plunged into a pandemic in March of 2020. COVID-19 was here. The stores were empty. People were getting sick. Others were sheltering in place. Chair King and Fortunoff Backyard Store had to consider the health and safety of their employees and the communities they called home. All store locations were closed to adhere to government guidelines and regulations. The brands pivoted. If people could not visit our stores, they would bring the showroom experience to people. They invested in the website–more products were added online, more color swatches, more information, more pictures.

Store managers would Facetime customers and walk them through our showrooms. Our Backyard Specialists measured furniture sets and built patio design recommendations to help make your homes, your safe spaces–more comfortable. We made it easy to take it easy during unprecedented times, and not a single Chair King or Fortunoff Backyard Store employee was laid off. We all made it through, together.

In 2023, Michelle Weisman was promoted to Director of Visual Design. What was once a new role for both companies was now an entire department. This same year, Chair King launched its commercial outdoor furniture brand: Chair King B2B. Unlike Leisure Collections, Chair King B2B works on large-scale commercial projects like apartment complexes, country clubs, and restaurants. Fortunoff Backyard Store launched a similar B2B brand, the first commercial outdoor furniture brand under the Fortunoff Backyard Store name.

Since our founding over 75 years ago, a lot has changed. What began as one furniture store in 1922 has expanded to 22 Chair King Backyard Store locations, 30 Fortunoff Backyard Store Showrooms, and over 200 employees working towards a shared mission – to make it easy for everyone to spend more quality time in their backyard. We credit our customers and the communities we call home for our growth and longevity. No one knows what the future holds, but our dedication to service, selection, and quality will always remain the core tenets of our brand this year and for all the years to come. Thank you for being the best part of our story.

To learn more about Chair King Backyard Store’s history, visit our About Us page and subscribe to our newsletter for upcoming events and special offers as we celebrate 75 years of business.