Main Street Kitchens, a long-running cookware and specialty food shop in Hanover, will close on Feb. 14 after nearly three decades in business, according to a statement posted on the store’s Facebook page.
In a statement posted on the store’s website, owners Dave and Kaitlyn Barrette said they are closing the store to focus on their family. The closure marks the end of a business that, according to the store’s website, first opened in 1997 and has served Upper Valley customers looking for cooking and baking supplies, holiday products and specialty foods.
The Barrettes bought the shop in 2018. Dave Barrette wrote in an email statement to The Dartmouth that the family purchased the business in order to “keep an iconic Hanover small business alive.”
In his statement, Barrette described his personal ties to the region and the path that brought him back to New Hampshire. He wrote that he grew up in the Upper Valley and later moved to Orlando to work as a sous chef. After eight years in Florida, he wrote, he and Kaitlyn decided to return to New Hampshire to raise their children.
“It immediately felt like the right opportunity at the right moment,” Barrette wrote. “It felt natural and meaningful that we were putting down roots as a family, and owning a community-centered business in the Upper Valley where we had both grown up.”
Main Street Kitchens carried what Barrette described as a large assortment of cook and bakeware, along with holiday products and specialty foods unique to the Upper Valley. Barrette wrote that after he and his spouse took over the business in 2018, they also began selling honey, olive oil and local jams.
Employees and nearby business owners said the closure will leave a noticeable gap on Hanover’s retail landscape.
Sara Gormley, who has worked at Main Street Kitchens “off and on for many years,” said her experience at the store was always “very positive.” “It’s nice to work in a small business,” Gormley said.
Jack Stinson, the owner of Stinson’s Village Store nearby, said he was “psyched” when Main Street Kitchens opened. “They’ve got everything in there,” Stinson said. “I used to go there and get can-openers, bottle openers and all kinds of stuff.” He added that he thought the closure was a “big loss.” “It’s a great little store,” Stinson said.
Hanover resident August Driussi, who works at the nearby Still North Bookstore and Cafe, also described the news as disappointing. “It’s a shame,” Driussi said. “I like it. It’s got some cute stuff.”
The closure comes as Hanover continues to face challenges with local businesses adapting to changing economic conditions. In his email statement, Barrette thanked the store’s employees and customers and wrote that the business was “so blessed to have such a supportive community.” “We appreciate everyone who has been a part of the Main Street Kitchens story as they will always remain a part of Hanover’s story,” Barrette wrote.
Main Street Kitchens is expected to close Feb. 14, according to the store’s Facebook statement. The Barrettes’ statements did not provide additional details about what will happen to the space after the closure.
