For about 35 years, the sound of an old bell greeted consumers when they “went back in time” in the former harrigan’s in Southampton city centre.
The bronze bell, suspended through a chain on the roof, an integral component of Harrigan’s 100-mile red and white food market on High Street for more than 15 years.
“Sometimes it scares other people of the day because they don’t expect it. Now there’s even a notch in the door where she’s been knocked so many times,” said owner Mary Ellen Harrigan.
On Saturday, Harrigan’s son’s DJ climbed a ladder to ring the bell after the small grocery store, known for its frivolous atmosphere and old-fashioned small-town charm, closed for good, marking the end of a decades-long era.
Harrigan, 59, said fitness disorders led her to take the difficult resolution in May to retire in late October.
“I to take care of myself,” she says.
A member of the network has introduced a GoFundMe crusade, which can be discovered on the collective financing platform by searching for Harrigan’s, to buy a retirement gift.
“There is no circle of relatives who have not opened the door to Harrigan’s Red
Mary Ellen and her husband Dave Harrigan moved from London, Ontario, to Southampton in 1986 to buy and run the grocery store, which a red
Prior to the move, the couple had worked for supermarket chain Dominion and operated two outlets in London.
“My husband and father discovered this store and fell in love with it and that’s the beginning of the story,” she said.
While Mary Ellen and Dave were the Reds
The bell was originally in the general store, but after the store closed, it moved to the red shop.
Harrigan recalls that when the couple bought the Network
“Sometimes, he had to stay buying groceries while he queued in to get started,” he says.
The Harrigans made several adjustments to the store, an expansion a few years ago.
They added a bakery at the store, a new deli segment and coffee and sandwich promotion, while Mary Ellen introduced a meal service.
The store has faced demanding situations over the years.
Harrigan had to take over day-to-day operations on his own after Dave became disabled in 2003 and Dave’s father died in 2005.
She said she nearly closed the store in 2007, around the time she opened a Walmart in Port Elgin, because she felt hit by control of the store and the unrest with the building.
But the network joined her and at one point 60 volunteers showed up to fix the store. It has been repainted, floors have been finished, new windows have been installed, and distribution has been improved.
“We knocked him down, ” he said.
Harrigan said he attributed the store’s skill to the festival, from the big shops to its downtown location and the atmosphere of a small town.
“It’s a friendly smile and we’ll do what we can for you, we welcome you. And I’m sure you get it at retail branches too, but I still think it’s the small country town store that draws people in. “he said, noting that the store had one full-time worker and one part-time worker, but more people were brought in for the busier summer season.
“The location is probably the 1. Si you live in Southampton city centre, the nearest location is Foodland and you have to cross the bridge. So, if we’re in the middle of winter and you need a loaf of bread, you’re not going to take your car and drive so far for that. While you can run here and get that and say then, there are smart butter cakes, I think I’ll get it too. “
The company’s catering service has also helped cover the store’s expenses over the years, he said.
But the COVID-19 pandemic devastated this line of profits, as reserves stopped in March and have not yet resumed.
This additional confirmation, he said, is the right time to close.
In addition to serving consumers in the store and food, Harrigan’s also has food prepared for local home-cooked and daytime food programs.
And Harrigan’s preference for the network continued until the last day of the store.
On Saturday, she collected donations from the food bank and donated all non-consumable food to the food bank and women’s center shelter at Owen Sound.
Harrigan said he planned to sell the construction on High Street and expects the customer to reopen it as a grocery store, and noted that the center wants it.
As for the doorbell, Harrigan DJ planned to take his home with him to Ottawa.
“Keep it as a souvenir; as a souvenir,” he says.
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