Oct. 24--Twelve years after opening a party-supply store in Redmond, Linda and Mark Potter opened a second Everything Party location last month in Renton.

Although the meltdown on Wall Street has caused the economic equivalent of a massive hangover, the Potters say they're optimistic that consumers still want to party -- perhaps more than ever.

"We're probably the only people expanding in this economy," Linda Potter said half-jokingly. "But we had been looking a long time for a second location."

The married couple ended their search a year and a half ago, when they signed a lease for 9,000 square feet at The Landing, a mixed-use development off Interstate 405 near Boeing's 737 plant.

Since then, about a half-dozen large retailers also have opened at The Landing, including Target, PetSmart, Staples, Joe's Sports and Ross Dress for Less.

The Potters' timing was fortunate in one sense: The Sept. 5 launch gave them eight weeks before Halloween, their single biggest-selling opportunity of the year. Nearly half of the new store is dedicated to Halloween costumes and decorations, like Barack Obama and John McCain masks ($14.99 each), a box of "finger fries" ($5.99) and spider-shaped balloons ($7.99).

Mark Potter said sales at the new location have exceeded expectations. "When times are tough, people want to escape a little bit and have fun," he said.

Linda and Mark Potter opened their first store, then called Confetti Junction, in 1996 after spending a couple years researching the party-supply business, including traveling throughout the country to see how others did it. Linda had been a buyer for Nordstrom, and Mark was a senior VP at Seafirst Bank.

"I knew I wanted to run a business, and Linda knew it couldn't be just any business," Mark said.

"It was something I had to be passionate about," Linda added. "We don't sell stuff. It's about memories. I grew up with a mom who put a pumpkin napkin in my lunchbox every day during the month of October."

The Potters expanded the Redmond store this past summer and changed the name to Everything Party, deeming it more on point than Confetti Junction.

"Our goal is to have a handful of really good stores," Mark said, noting that they liked The Landing's proximity to 405 and abundance of parking as well as big draws such as Target.

So far, national chains dominate the retail mix at The Landing, the type of place where nearby residents might grab a bite to eat after shopping or taking in a movie. But leasing agent Erika Koehler said more local and regional players will open in the next six months.