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Key Takeaways:
• Avenue Jewelers celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 2023, evolving from a small coin shop opened in 1973 into an upscale fine jewelry store in Appleton, Wisconsin.
• The store completed a massive 22-day full renovation in October 2023, gutting the interior to create a modern showroom focused on bridal jewelry as the core of its business.
• Co-owned by fourth-generation jeweler Jason Druxman and partner Kara McGuire, the business has earned Best of the Valley for 13 consecutive years and holds over 5,200 five-star Google reviews.
Avenue Jewelers turned 50 in November 2023. The store began life in 1973 as a coin shop. In less than two decades, that coin shop became a jewelry store that never forgot its roots. “We never went coin-free,” says Jason Druxman, current co-owner of the Appleton, Wisconsin-based Avenue Jewelers. “Until the remodel in October 2023, we had a coin counter. These days, coin business is done by appointment only.”
From Coin Shop To Jewelry Store
Bob and Judy Worachek opened their coin shop in 1973. Bob was an offset pressman for a local company. According to Jason, Bob didn’t like that job much, so he quit one day. He then worked as a drapery salesman, but in his heart, Bob really wanted to open a coin shop. Eventually, he got his wish as drapery sales shuttered, and he started selling coins. The first seven years were “very slow,” according to Jason. Bob then formed a partnership with fellow coin enthusiast and coin history buff Joe Pankratz.
In the 1980s, they started selling jewelry purchased from the public, and estate jewelry was finding its place in display cases. Seeing the profitability of jewelry over coins, they added gold chains to the inventory. And, in 1991, when the store moved to a larger location, it officially went from a coin shop that sold jewelry to a jewelry store with a coin counter.
Today, a wall-sized photo of the old store is all that remains of the coin shop’s days. Joe, a 40-year veteran from the original store, still handles the by-appointment coin customers.
In the place of the old coin shop, an upscale AGS (American Gem Society) fine jewelry store emerged, with a strong emphasis on bridal jewelry as the “backbone” of its sales. The store has had many renovations and upgrades over the years, but in October 2023, Jason and co-owner Kara McGuire did the impossible. The owners and their staff, along with a small army of contractors, completed a full renovation of the store in 22 days.
The store remained open during most of that time, inviting customers into the basement to a makeshift office/showroom. It’s essentially a “new” store. The old store was gutted down to the wall studs and sub-floors.
The following month, Jason, Kara, and their staff celebrated the grand opening and their 50th anniversary just in time for the busy holiday season. Pulling off such a feat is part and parcel of the demands of jewelry retail.
A Legacy in the Jewelry Industry
Avenue Jewelers co-owner Jason Druxman is a fourth-generation jeweler with industry roots dating back to the mid-1800s, when his great-grandfather Moses was a tailor who displayed pocket watches and jewelry alongside his suits for passersby to see. Harry, Jason’s grandfather, followed his father’s footsteps. Starting as a tailor, he too sold jewelry. By the 1940s, Harry owned two jewelry stores in Seattle.
Barry, Jason’s father, joined the family business in the 1960s. When Jason’s grandparents died, Barry closed the stores. “My father continued the heritage and opened a small upstairs jewelry store in downtown Seattle,” says Jason. A toddler at the time, Jason has a picture of his father handing him a ring. That same photo is the most prized possession in Jason’s office today.
By the 1970s, Jason’s father, Barry, worked for Friedlander and Sons Jewelers. Barry wanted more from his jewelry career, so he opened the Pacific Northwest’s first gemological lab and school. Jason worked there during the summers doing essential office work, pickups, and deliveries. Jason often found himself playing with the microscopes in the classrooms and the appraisal items.
After high school, Jason pursued his bachelor’s degree at Washington State University (WSU). Upon completing his studies, Jason always knew a career in the gem and jewelry industry was within his reach. Ultimately, he earned a Diamond Certificate and Diamond Grading from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), is a Registered Jeweler with the AGS, and is a member of the AGS.
Jason learned of a job opportunity in Minneapolis. Upon arrival, he was fast-tracked to be a district manager for Sterling. Jason quickly discovered this was not the career for him. When a recruiter contacted Jason about a possible retail jewelry job in Wisconsin, he jumped at the opportunity.
The road to Avenue Jewelers had a few bumps and curves, but Jason was eventually hired on as a co-manager in 2001. That same year, he was promoted to store manager and held that position until 2008, when the owners split the business, allowing Jason to become an owner.
A New Era
It was during this time that Kara, who has been a co-owner since April 2025, started working at Avenue Jewelers. Kara left the cellular phone business to work in the jewelry store’s back office.
Kara took to her duties well, flourished, and took on other duties, including sales. Over time, she became dexterous in almost every aspect of day-to-day operations. When the previous owner was looking to retire, Kara was an easy choice to become Jason’s co-owner and partner.
“Kara was an obvious choice for me,” says Jason. “She had the desire and drive to succeed, and I knew that was what was going to take us into the next chapter of Avenue Jewelers.”
She enjoys sales and sharing in customers’ lives, but Kara excels in inventory management and merchandising. As an IJO (Independent Jewelers Organization) member and user of The Edge and Balance to Buy, inventory management has become second nature for Kara and the staff.
Equally important is staff, staffing, and compensation. “Bridal continues to be the backbone of our business, so we stay focused there while still maintaining balance and keeping our eyes open across other categories,” says Jason. “At the same time, we’ve put real structure around compensation and bonuses so the team is aligned with the health of the business. Ultimately, it’s really about staying flexible, making informed decisions, and always thinking ahead instead of reacting to what just happened last month.”
“My area of expertise is leadership and operations,” says Kara. “Over the years, I’ve really focused on building strong processes, setting a clear vision for the store, and creating a culture where the team can succeed and grow. That didn’t happen overnight. It came from working in every part of the business, learning what works and what doesn’t, and the willingness to change how we operate.”
Appleton residents, and those from surrounding towns, have noticed the effort. Avenue Jewelers has earned “Best of the Valley, Best Jeweler” for the last 13 years. “It has been a meaningful source of trust and visibility for us, helping bring in new customers while reinforcing confidence with the people who already know us,” says Jason. “We also have more than 5,200 five-star Google reviews, making us the most recommended jeweler in Wisconsin. A tagline we use.”
It sounds like all work and no play, but that’s not Jason. Not at all. Based in a college town, they have to act young and be fun, especially on social media. “We’ve done a ton of fun videos and campaigns over the years,” says Jason. “We are people here to help people with some of the greatest moments in their lives, but in the end, we want them to have fun while they are doing it.”
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