HANOVER — The owners of Main Street Kitchens announced they will be taking an indefinite hiatus from running the downtown kitchenware store.
David and Kaitlyn Barrette broke the news to customers on Jan. 4 with a message on social media and their website that the Allen Street store will close on Valentine’s Day.
“We want everyone to know that it was a tough decision to close the store but the right one for our family at this time,” David Barrette wrote in an emailed response to questions about the closing. “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.”
The Barrettes grew up in the Upper Valley before relocating to Florida. Upon return, they purchased the store from Marv and Mary Schouten in 2018, who had operated the shop for decades.
The Barrettes felt drawn to the Hanover small business, and saw it as the perfect place to lay roots as a young family. Since then, Main Street Kitchens expanded to include new gadgets, specialty foods and an online shop, which launched in 2020. The couple relocated the shop from South Main Street to Allen Street in 2020 due to high rent.
“For many customers, locals, Dartmouth families and visitors, Main Street Kitchens has long been part of what makes Hanover feel like Hanover,” David Barrette wrote.
Main Street Kitchens is special, David Barrette said, because it functions as a family-owned, small business that can offer “real expertise in real time” to anyone interested in using high quality kitchen products. The Barrettes measure the success of their store in terms of the relationships they’ve formed with visitors and the community they’ve built in the process, he said.
With much of the building soon-available, there are several possibilities for the future of the space.
Right next door to Main Street Kitchens, Michael’s Audio-Video operated for several years before closing last year, leaving the storefront vacant.
Robert Meyer, project manager at the Hanover-based BaySon Company, has owned the building that Main Street Kitchens is leaving since last year. While his time as the Barrettes’ landlord was brief, he noted that they were great tenants with a business that drew a new crowd to Allen Street.
“We wish them all the best and if they decide to reopen a store in the future, we would love to be able to accommodate them in one of our spaces,” said Meyer.
The Barrettes’ public post noted that they have no set reopening date, but have “the intention to return when the timing and conditions feel right.”
Jack Stinson owns Stinson’s Village Store, which occupies part of the same building that Main Street Kitchens is departing. Samosa Man operates a commercial kitchen in the basement, but is not open to the public, Meyer said.
Stinson expressed a great respect for the Barrettes’ hard work and is sad to see them go. As their neighbor and a customer himself, Stinson noticed that their business was successful due to the need for cooking materials across the board, especially by restaurants.
“I’d like to see them come back,” said Stinson.
Barring that, Stinson said he would like to see the vacant neighboring space filled with a new hardware store to offset all the restaurants and banks in the vicinity.
Meyer’s current focus is on addressing deferred maintenance on the Allen Street property, instead of replacing past businesses immediately.
While there have been inquiries about taking over the space, the BaySon Co. is in no rush. Retail is favorable for the space because downtown Hanover needs businesses like Main Street Kitchens to stay vibrant, Meyer said.
“It is no secret that bricks and mortar retail is getting more difficult in small, urban settings. However, without a healthy mix, we have the potential to lose it altogether in and around Main Street, Hanover,” said Meyer.
David Barrette noted that modern shopping habits and location difficulties have compelled retail stores to adapt, including in Hanover.
“In Hanover, the realities of a historic downtown that include limited parking and higher operating costs have long shaped how small businesses operate,” he said.