Citizens Hardware Do It Best at 310 Weaverville Highway to close August 31

Xpress has confirmed that the Citizens Hardware Do It Best store on 310 Weaverville Highway will close its doors on August 31. The store’s owner says that details on the closing will be coming later in the month. Citizens Hardware was established in Asheville in 1941.

The news comes on the heels of several recent restaurant closings, including Tripps on the corner of College and Charlotte streets, Three Brothers Restaurant on Haywood Street and the Barbecue Inn on Patton Avenue. The three restaurants had been in business for 27, 52 and 50 years respectively.

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4 thoughts on “Citizens Hardware Do It Best at 310 Weaverville Highway to close August 31

  1. Old Timer

    Citizen’s Hardware on Merrimon was an Asheville institution and a real neighborhood commercial center, preferred by many over big box stores because of outstanding customer service. Other old timers may correct my information, but I understand the Groce family sold the business but kept the property. The new Citizens owners (and longtime employees) could not maintain the business at its historic location because the property was leased to Walgreen’s. When the “new” Citizens could not find a nearby location, it moved further up the Weaverville highway, losing its neighborhood connection (and probably much of its clientele). Had Citizens been able to move into the Houser Shoe Store location across the street, it would probably have continued to thrive. Certainly, when Houser left and Ace Hardware moved in, the Ace quickly became the equivalent of the neighborhood Citizens, offering the same type of outstanding personal service that keeps the customers coming back. Customers who remember the fine Citizens employees fondly from their Merrimon days can hope these people have good retirement plans or other employment prospects. There’s more of a story here than your young reporter was perhaps aware of.

  2. Dionysis

    Not too surprising with Lowe’s now in Weaverville. I expected Ace Hardware to have closed by now as well, given their relatively high prices.

  3. Old Timer

    I doubt Lowes will drive out Ace on Merrimon. Try finding a salesperson to help you at Lowes (I have, usually without success) or one who will accompany you to help you find something (the ones I ask, when I find one, just point or tell you an aisle number and leave you to your own devices). Ace Hardware on Merrimon has learned the lesson that it’s customer service, not just price, that can make the difference. Lowes may have changed in the last years, since I stopped shopping there. I’d be interested to know.

  4. chett Spinney

    all four of these closings come as to no surprise to anyone I know
    none of them kept up with the changing landscape of asheville-weaverville Tripps (always on the fringe of downtown almost a good location). Barbecue inn same drab interior and same old menu, good food but sometimes the house keeps the peeps away. Three brothers Huge menu it seems they just couldn’t decide what they wanted to do Average Greek Food, and finnaly Citezen Hardware With the combo of Lowes and the new Ace on Merrimon they never really had a chance (too bad really)

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