RARITAN, NJ - He has been doing phone and tablet repairs for more than 10 years, and people always ask him if he is the “phone guy.”
And after three years of wanting to open his own repair shop, Nick Mitsingas and his fiancé Angela Tayco opened Phone Guy Repairs on Somerset Street in Raritan.
Despite COVID, the pair said this was the right time to open, and they celebrated a soft opening in late October, with a full grand opening Nov. 14.
“Once COVID hit, we really had to reflect and think about how we could be essential and survive the moment,” Tayco said. “We decided, let’s be our own boss.”
“This really gave us the confidence and push to start it up,” she added.
Mitsingas, who immigrated to America from Cyprus when he was 15, was always tinkering with electronics when he was little, taking devices apart and putting them back together again.
“My mom used to yell at me, but now it’s paying off,” he said. “I mostly liked seeing how they were put together, I was fascinated by that. Even the original Game Boys, what was the screen connected to, I had an infatuation with it.”
Mitsingas said he was lucky enough to work with the first company that started doing cell phone repair about 11 years ago in New Jersey. He worked in all different types of environments, from mall kiosks to franchised stores, and then insurance companies themselves.
“I trained a lot of the technicians,” he said. “But one of the reasons I wanted to open a store was that I noticed that these big companies only care about the bottom line. They didn’t do much to accommodate the customer and technician.”
Tayco, who has a background in marketing and fundraising, worked in the non-profit sector for more than 10 years, and currently works as the membership manager for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
When she was 14, Tayco said, she was a student and an employee at the Raritan Music Center, also on Somerset Street.
“Lou, the owner, and I are pretty close to this day, and when I asked him for some business advice, he told me about a Raritan location that was open, and it felt like a good fit,” she said, noting that they had originally planned to open their repair shop in Somerville. “Everyone was so welcoming, it was a different kind of vibe from Somerville, even though it’s only a mile away.”
And now they are located right between the Raritan Music Store and the shoe repair shop.
“We look at it as it’s the hands-on corner of Raritan, which is pretty unique,” she said.
In addition, Tayco said, she was excited to work with the Raritan Economic Development Committee.
“I love non-profits and startups, so it was attractive to us to help bring up the Raritan downtown area,” she said.
In their new business, Tayco said, they are looking to be different from the phone kiosks and other vendors that fix phones in the malls and other similar locations.
“We are hoping this name will relate more to the customers and their needs, give it an approachable feel,” she said.
Tayco said so many people were affected by COVID, especially financially, and companies come out with new phones every year, some of which may not be as popular because of people’s financial situations. Mitsingas, she said, follows the trends very closely so he can do fixes on older phones.
“Setting up a business this year, we really had to reflect on if this was going to be a good investment, and, at the end of the day, everyone we have talked to for business advice was very supportive,” she said. “It is the idea of fixing people’s most personal devices.”
Tayco said they did a soft opening Oct. 20, working with cracked screens, battery replacements and more.
“We wanted to bring a more wholesome customer service feel,” she said. “It was important to us to teach people how to use their phones that they use every day for hours on end. It always brings a satisfaction when we can give tips on devices.”
One of the services they provide, Mitsingas said, is a free pick up and drop off of phones within 5 miles from the Raritan shop.
“It is to accommodate people who are hesitant to go out right now,” he said. “We always try to make sure the customer is OK with the device. They check the device, and if they notice anything, we say to let us know so we can make sure they are completely happy.”
Tayco said that what sets them apart is that they want to be the neighborhood phone guy.
“People shop around for good prices on cars and feel around technicians,” she said. “At the end of the day, they are spending a lot of money.”
“We let them know right then and there what Nick’s diagnosis is and what the solutions are,” she added. “You can feel free to shop around and let us know, but we are here to answer questions and make them feel good.”
In the future, Tayco said, they would also like to be the designated phone repair company for organizations, companies and even schools in the area.
The grand opening, Tayco said, was an exciting day for them, and they had family, friends, officials from town and members of the Raritan Economic Development Committee celebrating the new shop.
“We got our name out there, and a lot of people came by,” she said. “It was a big moment for us, for sure.”
The shop is located at 58 West Somerset Street. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Contact the store at 908-947-0955, or visit phoneguyrepairs.com.
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