The North End of Boston has lost a piece of its heart with the closure of the Connah Store, a corner fixture renowned among locals for its welcoming atmosphere and assortment of convenience items. For over three decades, the Connah Store has stood at the junction of Hanover and Parmenter streets, but a significant rent increment has forced the beloved store to shut its doors, much to the dismay of the community who have come to rely on its presence.
Owner Mark Petrigno decided to finally close down the shop after facing a steep rise in rent, with the property's cost jumping from $5,300 a month to an untenable $8,750. With retirement already on his mind, Petrigno saw the rent hike as a sign to retire. "Everyone knows the Connah Store," Paula Noukas, who runs food tours in the North End, told NBC Boston. She added, "It is going to change the face of Hanover street for sure. It is a loss."
The Connah Store, which first opened its doors in 1992, was more than just a place to buy a scratch ticket or a late-night snack, it was a community hub, a friendly face in the bustle of the city. Customers like Mike O'Brien expressed their sentiments openly, "Sadly, it is closing. I come here to get my scratchies and a Klondike Bar, and whenever Powerball is big, I would always come here. It had a winning vibe. I never won," he recalled in a statement obtained by NBC Boston.
The sudden shuttering of the iconic store came as a shock to many repeat customers. Petrigno voiced his surprise at the community's reaction to the closure: "I just took for granted the impact that it had on the neighborhood from the other side of the counter," Petrigno told Boston.com. Reflecting on the store's legacy, he shared, "The word got out I was closing, sadness all over. People like, 'I can't believe this, where am I gonna go? Where are we gonna go?'" The statement encapsulates the profound void the store’s absence will leave in the daily routine of many.
While the Connah Store has been quickly gutted following its closure on New Year's Day, the memory of its role in the North End is likely to persist as a poignant reminder of the neighborhood's changing economic landscape and the fragility of small businesses in the face of mounting pressures.
