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Greeting shoppers with a smile

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Jeffrey was one of the pioneering retail businesses in the Meat Market when it opened five years ago on W. 14th St. Ever since, Ryan Cleminson has been the greeter at the front door. Owned by former Barney’s shoe buyer Jeffrey Kalinsky, the store draws a steady crowd of celebrity customers, the names of whom Cleminson is not at liberty to divulge. However, he meets them all with a cheerful smile. “You kind of learn a lot about people in this position,” he said. “Some ignore you. Some interact with you. Some come in on a cellphone, leave on a cellphone…. I used to get lipstick kisses on the window from the transvestites.” Asked what makes him such a welcoming sort, he said, “I’m from Tennessee. We’re the Volunteer State. — My intention is to make even the most angry person smile when they walk in here. I guess that’s just the kind of person I am.”

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