Rehoboth Beach Phone Repair opens in Tanger Seaside

Looking to make it easier for locals to get their cracked cellphones fixed, husband-and-wife team Mehmet and Gizem Kilic have opened Rehoboth Beach Phone Repair in Tanger Outlets Seaside.

The couple also own MG Technology & Fashion, which they opened on Rehoboth Avenue in May 2019. There’s been a lot of feedback from customers who like the service the business provides, but they don’t like having to come downtown in the middle of summer to get their phones fixed, said Mehmet, during an interview Feb. 16.

Both Kilics are originally from Turkey. They said they fell in love with the Rehoboth area during their summers working locally as J-1 Visa students. Like many international students, they worked in various hotels and restaurants, but much of their experience was at Robin Hood Restaurant. They returned to Turkey to get their degrees – Mehmet has one in engineering; Gizem has one in economics – but they said they always wanted to come back to Rehoboth.

“We knew we were always going to return and open some kind of business,” said Mehmet.

In addition to their businesses, the couple is starting their family here too – their son Landon is 17 months old. “He’s our second baby; the first was the store downtown and the third is the new stores,” said Gizem, laughing. “We’re working hard.”

Customers often come in exasperated about their phones being broken, said Gizem. That’s why she came up with the slogan, “Relax, it’s only broken.” Most people think their phones can’t be fixed, but that’s not the case, she said.

They expanded their operation in January. It’s been a little slow, but they expect business to pick up as the weather warms and there are more customers in the outlets, said Gizem.

Depending on the brand of phone, Mehmet said repairs may take from 20 to 45 minutes. Customers can come in, drop it off and it will be fixed by the time they're done shopping in other stores, said Mehmet.

Mehmet said they don’t always have the correct screen in stock, but rather than ship the broken phone and wait weeks for it to return, he orders parts for customers and then fixes the phones when the parts arrive. Gizem was quick to add that also means customers know who fixed their phone. They like that, she said.

In addition to fixing cracked cellphone screens, Rehoboth Beach Phone Repair has a wide selection of accessories. There are over 1,000 cases to choose from, fast-charging cords, fancy earbud holders, headphones, silly covers for children’s tablets, wireless speakers and more. Mehmet said the store’s primary focus is fixing broken cellphones, but there are a lot of accessories.

Mehmet said there is a warranty on the work they perform, returning customers get a discount, and Tanger Outlets employees get 20 percent off their work.

For now, store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, but the closing time will change to 10 p.m. during the summer. For more information or to get a quote, call Rehoboth Beach Phone Repair, 36508 Seaside Outlet Drive, Suite 1170, at 302-567-5596 or call Mehmet’s cellphone at 302-727-3100.