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A go-to spot to furnish your bedroom, kitchen, living room and more, R. Tetford & Son has been operating for nearly 70 years. What started as a small dry goods store grew over time into a multi-location furniture store and mattress factory. Now owned and operated by the third generation of the family, R. Tetford & Son continues to make houses feel like home.
Staging phase
The namesake family furniture business was founded by Robert Tetford III. After returning home from WWII, Tetford was unwell and looking for a way to support himself. While in hospital, he started knitting blankets to sell—his entrepreneurial activities grew from there. Tetford later acquired and operated a hot dog cart, which progressed to a drive-in restaurant. In 1958, he built his own shop at 76 Water Street in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland.
R. Tetford & Son initially opened as a dry goods shop and sold a bit of everything. But as big box retailers like Canadian Tire came to town, Tetford had to pivot to remain competitive. Noticing a demand for larger home furnishings and families with more disposable income in the area, he decided to focus exclusively on selling furniture.
Expanding the showroom
Years after finding his niche, Tetford worked on expanding his vision. After trying a few different locations, R. Tetford & Son found its second home on Crowdy Street in Carbonear in 2000. Its Carbonear location became the business’s exclusive showroom for living room furniture, displaying couches, coffee tables, rugs and more. Its Harbour Grace location carries everything else—from stoves and fridges to beds and dressers.
Like many family businesses, R. Tetford & Son was passed down through generations. Robert Tetford IV joined his father in business in 1968, and his son, Robert Tetford V, started working at the family furniture store in 1998.
In 1991, the Tetford family expanded their business by opening a mattress factory. Tetford V explains that this change happened under his father’s leadership. After the closure of the Newfoundland railway, the price of shipping mattresses to the province skyrocketed, and Tetford’s father figured they could be made cheaper. So, he opened a factory to make his own brand of mattresses, RestNL. In addition to selling their mattresses in the Harbour Grace location, Tetford says the brand does custom and wholesale orders for offshore rigs, boats, hotels, RVs and more.
Still resting easy
Today, R. Tetford & Son continues to operate its two furniture store locations in Harbour Grace and Carbonear, as well as its RestNL mattress factory. As the third-generation owner of the family business, Tetford V says customers have been shopping with them for generations, and maintaining a positive reputation in a small town is key. “People want good service and a name they can trust,” he commented. “It’s important to establish respect and reputation within the community.”
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