By Dominik Lobkowicz
Rick Weymouth tosses a bottle at his business, Waldoboro Redemption Center. With the closure of Goodnow’s Variety in Waldoboro and the building the two businesses occupied going up for sale, he is unsure of his business’s future. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
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Goodnow’s Variety in Waldoboro closed its doors on June 30. (D.Lobkowicz photo) |
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Two convenience stores in landmark locations in Waldoboro and Washington have closed and the properties will be coming up for sale, according to Janice Goodnow, one of the owners of Goodnow’s Variety.
The company closed down both of its locations in the past few weeks due to lack of business, according to Goodnow.
The stores were located at the corner of Old Route 1 and Route 32 in Waldoboro, the former Medomak Variety, and the corner of Route 17 and Route 220 in Washington, formerly C&S One Stop. They closed on June 30 and June 16, respectively.
“Just no business. It’s just been really bad. We’re not the only ones, there’s a lot of other ones out there that closed this winter,” Goodnow said.
Goodnow, who owned the business with her son Justin Goodnow, said no new operators are currently planned to come in behind them.
Waldoboro Redemption Center
With the planned sale of Goodnow’s Waldoboro location, longtime tenant Rick Weymouth is not sure of the future for his business, Waldoboro Redemption Center.
Weymouth said he would have been in the building 20 years in September, but was given 30 days notice to vacate when Goodnow’s closed on June 30.
“I made my living here for 20 years,” Weymouth said. “I worked for myself and I liked it.”
The redemption center’s relationship to the convenience store has been a reciprocal one, with customers often using the money from their bottle and can returns to buy more beverages next door, Weymouth said.
“Some years I’ve taken in close to five million units,” he said. “It takes that many to make a living.”
Weymouth is still working out his next move after the redemption center closes to the public on Saturday, July 26. He remains hopeful, however.
“Maybe it means something better is coming along,” he said.
