Steve McLerran and Larry Belt: From the Bible to Baltimore to the Beach

In his own words, Rehoboth resident Steve McLerran was born “under the buckle of the Bible Belt” in Tipton, Indiana. So every time I asked what brought him to Rehoboth, he would peer at me over his glasses and say, “Buckle? Hello!” Oh.

He stayed under that buckle until he escaped to Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. Though Steve admits that it was “still under the first notch,” the preponderance of East Coast students made it worth it. He quickly learned that there was a world beyond his American Gothic upbringing. His course of study toward speech therapy was going nicely until he discovered that his department shared the same building with the theater. He was not only fascinated by the business aspect of theater, but, “they were having a lot more fun than the kids over here in speech pathology.”

As he earned his degree in speech communication, he met his first boyfriend there in the hallowed halls. When I queried, “So you were already out?”, he proclaimed, “I’ve never been in!” Steve worked for a while at the Baltimore Actors’ Theater until a local department store became aware of his design talents and hired him to do window displays. “While I froze in the winter—for all the world to see—I noticed the advertising department. They were warm! So I ended up as a copy writer.”

Around that time he met fashion buyer Larry Belt. “One minute he was checking the label inside my shirt, and the next thing we were on a date.” (Next time you cruise the department stores, remember that.) Shortly thereafter, McLerran found himself not only comfortably ensconced with Larry, but also employed as the assistant advertising manager for a competing store.

One job lead to another, and Steve’s knack for responding quickly to trends attracted the attention of the über-successful hip clothing chain, Merry-Go-Round. “It was my favorite job, and it was my introduction to ‘fast-food fashion.’” Steve clarifies: “Remember the red jacket Michael Jackson wore in the Thriller video? It was a Jean Paul Gaultier original and worth thousands of dollars. Within three weeks we had it in our stores for 99 bucks. Merry-Go-Round stock split twice that year.” Steve worked for the stylish chain for 12 years, eventually learning that “trendy” can be a double-edged sword when Merry-Go-Round collapsed under the weight of its own expansion.

Larry Belt remained in the merchandising business even after Steve moved on to Charming Shoppes, Inc., the parent company of Catherine’s, Fashion Bug, and Lane Bryant. Larry decided to fulfill his desire to finish college, interrupted by having been drafted into the Army. He graduated from Temple University with an undergraduate degree in Spanish. While supporting himself working for Williams-Sonoma, he (in Steve’s words), “kept his foot on the gas”; ending up with his master’s in Spanish. He’s now an adjunct professor at DeSales University and St. Joseph’s University in Pennsylvania. Larry was no teenager when all this was happening, and Steve was inspired by his ability to effect such a massive change in his life. “When you love what you’re doing, it raises the bar for everything.”

Letters readers with intact memories (and perhaps Medicare cards) may recall when Steve and Larry opened Saeno menswear shop here in Rehoboth. The Nancy Reagan-inspired name (get it?) lead to wacky marketing promotions including in-store appearances by fortune teller Natasha von Notsoprettivich—fueled at least in part by their “champagne shopping” concept. Renegade regulars flocked to their second store, Passport, for the latest designs in Spandex. “It was lots of fun,” says Steve, “but we said adios in the mid ‘90s.”

They were living in Rehoboth Beach during this process; commuting to and from their various jobs. Born in the Midwest (remember the buckle), he loved the small-town ambiance. “I have an urban head and a country psyche,” Steve smiles, “and I realized I could apply my quick-response marketing to smaller businesses as well.” Enter Josh Grapski, owner of Nage restaurant. His dream was to have an upscale prepared-foods market right next door, and McLerran’s experience was a perfect fit. “It’s not all that different from fashion sales. Trends are trends, whether it’s good food or up-to-the-minute duds for twenty-somethings.”

Steve and Grapski worked together seamlessly to create Root Gourmet, and Steve’s ideas and experience are evident everywhere. Open the door, and emblazoned across the wall is, Relax. We take the work off your plate. “That’s the essence of the store,” explains McLerran. On another wall is painted, You had me at tomato jam. I had to ask. He answered: “Nage has always been famous for its tomato jam. I believe every business has to be famous for something. I use the jam as an example of quality branding.”

They say that you’re only as good as your last project, and the attractively designed Root Gourmet is certainly Steve’s freshest calling card. “Everything I’ve done in my life has connected the dots to my experiences here in Rehoboth. I help small businesses think big.”

On another wall, he has painted, Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. ‘Nuff said.

Bob Yesbek is a Rehoboth Beach resident. Email Bob Yesbek