septbride2002
"TO MILE 9!!!"
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2003
Grocer May Get Second Chance
By Victor Ojeda
A small grocery store in O'Fallon, Missouri is getting an amazing amount of support and pleas to stay open.
And that may just happen. A rally was held outside Dave's on the Boardwalk in the Winghaven Community on Sunday. The store was scheduled to close for good because its owner cited financial difficulties. But residents are pleading with him and the building landlord to give the store a second chance.
Dave's on the Boardwalk opened two years ago in the brand new community. In that time it has become a St. Charles grocery institution. "We don't do any shopping anywhere else," customer Jennifer Robinson said. But when owner Dave Gabris, put up a sign in the front door Saturday that h was closing for good, it was quite a shock to everyone. Not that he wants to close, but his landlord is forcing him to. Dave's wildly popular store is also wildly in debt. "They called him on his note. They are asking for back rent, interest and penalties," customer and friend Carie Finke said.
Gabris has been stocking shelves since he was 15. Owning a store was a lifelong dream, but now that he's being forced to close, customers are rallying around him to keep that dream alive. "We're trying to organize a rally and raise money so he doesn't close," Finke said.
The support -- both financial and emotional -- got to Gabris. "It is the people. They are more overwhelming than anything," he said. And some of those customers have a little influence. O'Fallon Alderman Pete Cantwell and Dardene Creek Mayor Pam Fogarty went into action once they heard about Dave's dilemma. Within 90 minutes they got Dave's on the Boardwalk a second chance. "There's some financial aspects and other aspects we're working on right now, and Dave agreed to close for a week while we work on restructuring with creditors and debtors and landlords," Cantwell said. "Maybe we can find out what the needs are and do something. It's not over until its over," Fogarty said. And Gabris said he's got a few more years of stocking shelves left in him. "Absolutely. I love this business. I always have," he said.
http://wb11tv.trb.com/news/kplr-news-101605-1,0,1511360.story?coll=kplr-news-1
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We didn't go to the Rally but we did go up to the store and make a donation. This little local grocer is a small gem in our community and I am so happy that we all pulled together to help save it. So many of our locally owned resturants, shops, etc have been closing recently due to hard economic times.
~Amanda
By Victor Ojeda
A small grocery store in O'Fallon, Missouri is getting an amazing amount of support and pleas to stay open.
And that may just happen. A rally was held outside Dave's on the Boardwalk in the Winghaven Community on Sunday. The store was scheduled to close for good because its owner cited financial difficulties. But residents are pleading with him and the building landlord to give the store a second chance.
Dave's on the Boardwalk opened two years ago in the brand new community. In that time it has become a St. Charles grocery institution. "We don't do any shopping anywhere else," customer Jennifer Robinson said. But when owner Dave Gabris, put up a sign in the front door Saturday that h was closing for good, it was quite a shock to everyone. Not that he wants to close, but his landlord is forcing him to. Dave's wildly popular store is also wildly in debt. "They called him on his note. They are asking for back rent, interest and penalties," customer and friend Carie Finke said.
Gabris has been stocking shelves since he was 15. Owning a store was a lifelong dream, but now that he's being forced to close, customers are rallying around him to keep that dream alive. "We're trying to organize a rally and raise money so he doesn't close," Finke said.
The support -- both financial and emotional -- got to Gabris. "It is the people. They are more overwhelming than anything," he said. And some of those customers have a little influence. O'Fallon Alderman Pete Cantwell and Dardene Creek Mayor Pam Fogarty went into action once they heard about Dave's dilemma. Within 90 minutes they got Dave's on the Boardwalk a second chance. "There's some financial aspects and other aspects we're working on right now, and Dave agreed to close for a week while we work on restructuring with creditors and debtors and landlords," Cantwell said. "Maybe we can find out what the needs are and do something. It's not over until its over," Fogarty said. And Gabris said he's got a few more years of stocking shelves left in him. "Absolutely. I love this business. I always have," he said.
http://wb11tv.trb.com/news/kplr-news-101605-1,0,1511360.story?coll=kplr-news-1
********************************************
We didn't go to the Rally but we did go up to the store and make a donation. This little local grocer is a small gem in our community and I am so happy that we all pulled together to help save it. So many of our locally owned resturants, shops, etc have been closing recently due to hard economic times.
~Amanda
hopefully closer to 5... but that is why I have been off the DIS lately selling and building is a full time job. (I said that funny like DISing is my other job) 
