Another victim of the tough economic times resides closer to home this weekend as Dave Page closed the doors of Big Dave’s Convenience Store on top of the hill in Damariscotta.
Suppliers are picking up their merchandise and giving Page credit for it. The shelves are already half empty and the gas pumps are adorned with ‘out of order’ signs. The impact of the closing on the community is evident by the steady stream of people stopping by to pay their last respects.
Page bought the store from Wayne Gilbert in 1989 after pestering him to buy it for years, according to Page. Hilltop Market, Gilbert’s store, was open in that location for more than 60 years.
Page was a professional drummer, and worked for the XL Cable Co. in Newcastle, when he started working part time for Ben Welch in his convenience store on Rt. 1. Before long Page and Welch’s son Mike were partners.
Eventually the partnership split up and Page opened his Damariscotta store in 1990. When Hilltop Redemption closed earlier this fall, Page bought it and kept it open.
He detailed the many convenience stores and take out food establishments, both corporate and private, that have cropped up during the 20 plus years he’s been in the convenience business.
“The business climate has changed in last 20 years,” said Page. “None of these businesses on their own would have knocked me out of business.”
For the last three years he’s being trying to find a way to hang on, but it finally got to be too much, he said. Page leaves behind three loyal, hardworking employees, who have yet to find new jobs.
Marsha Mortimer worked at Big Dave’s for 17 years, Patti Cressey for 10 years, and Jean Corliss for the last couple of years, he said. In the last three weeks he was open, he was forced to lay off Corliss to try and cut expenses.
He praised Mortimer as his “ace” explaining she ran the store for nearly a year when Page had gastric bypass surgery nine years ago. “God bless her, she ran the business at a profit that year,” he said.
The store officially closed at the end of business Feb. 28, but a small gathering was held to honor the store’s passing March 1. Page explained the Pinkhams and Genthners were special attendees, because normally they gather each morning at 9 a.m. for coffee.
About 30 people attended the informal get together. Page described it as “funeral-like” and said it was both happy and sad, with some laughing and some crying.
One special regular, Lee Parsons, stopped by a little later Sunday morning, drawn in by all the trucks in the parking lot. Page said Parsons came through door with tears in his eyes.
“The support from the community is very touching,” Page said. “I tried to pay Robert Clifford money on my bill last Friday. It was really a pittance compared to what I owed, but he wouldn’t take it.”
The community encouragement and support has continued through the closing this weekend, and into the packing process this week.
Page can tell you the story of almost every customer that walks through his door. His customers respond to that type of personal service.
As Page works to get the store emptied and cleaned, loyal patrons stop by all day wishing him well, and lamenting the stores loss. Regular customer Dave Powning stopped in March 3 to tell Page, “You’ve been my go to guy for years, and I’m going to miss you.”
Page said he received the most joy as a convenience store owner/operator by helping the community. “I used to be able to do a lot for the community, and I enjoyed being a part of that,” he said. “My line during all this has been, ‘I don’t accept charity, I give it.’ Lately it’s just been hard, but it makes me feel good about where I come from.”
Jim Cosgrove dubbed the closing of Big Dave’s “the end of an era” on his blog (mainecoastpropertiesblog.com) noting “Big Dave has left the building.”
