A Go Fund Me campaign has been launched to save Beacon Paint and Hardware. It was started on April 15th by John McNally, a friend of theirs for over 30 years. I spoke briefly with Bruce Stark, one of the owners. He was pretty surprised when the campaign was launched. The idea was brought up in a conversation he was having with his friend. They talked about the amazing efforts the neighborhood displayed to save West Sider Rare & Used Books. And Bruce casually remarked that getting that kind of support “would be nice”, since the store has had a lot of challenges over the course of the last year. But they were just talking, and he wasn’t expecting the conversation to lead to anything.
But now, a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $100,000 is up and running.
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Here are some quotes from Beacon’s Facebook page:
Operating a small business – especially in New York City – is tougher than ever. Many customers remark about how drastically the neighborhood has changed. This is true all over. Just recently, the restaurant next door went out of business. STORE FOR RENT signs abound everywhere. No doubt, you have lamented the closing of one or more neighborhood favorites. We are not being overly dramatic when we tell you the same fate could befall Beacon Paint in the not-too-distant future.
So, if you value mom n’ pop businesses (us, in particular), then please read on.
We are not blaming our landlord, who has been magnanimous to help where he could. But we still do have to pay the rent, and it’s a significant expense. Other costs keep going up: Real estate taxes, payroll, health insurance, parking, are the main culprits.
Beacon Paint & Hardware has been here for 119 years and in the Stark Family since 1971. For many years, the competition consisted of just a few other small hardware stores. Today, the omnipresent Amazon rules, with big box stores like Home Depot close behind.
We have cut expenses where we could, but we still need your help. We want to be there to support the community as well as the charities. We want to continue supporting all of the community events as well as school auctions.
Without your help, we might not make it to our 120th anniversary. Anything you can do to help is greatly appreciated.
Located at 371 Amsterdam Avenue (between 77th and 78th Street), Beacon Paint & Hardware has been a staple of the Upper West Side since 1900.
And they’ve done a lot more than operate their store in that time. Beacon has always been there for the community. They’ve been involved in charitable events like the annual nigh-time walkathon for Guiding Eyes For The Blind. They give out biscuits to dogs and toys to children on Halloween. They donate to local public schools. And they’ve always made customer service a priority.
But now they need our help!
Here’s The GoFundMe Campaign Join our newsletter to stay on top of this story:
