Meltdown
London, ON, February 2009
The Angelo's market near our house abruptly closed its doors yesterday (news story). Rumors of trouble within the 4-store operation had been building for weeks. Two stores had already closed, but this latest closure leaves only the original location open.
This is the place my kids loved. This is where my cycling group used to stop for fruit juice and a chat on our Sunday morning rides. This was the local business that reminded us so much of the bakeries and markets we grew up with. In a whitebread city like London, where richly character-driven places like this simply don't exist, the loss of a business that stood out is an especially tough shot to the gut.
Some of you may recall that I wrote about this place last year (link here). I was out with the little folks, and we ended up having one of those encounters that they'll never forget. Caroline was the daughter of the founder, and I hope she's doing OK in the wake of this business mess. A lot of good folks no longer have a great place to work; I can't help but feel that our city has lost something significant.
Your turn: The difference between locally-owned businesses and chains. Please discuss.
About this photo: We're winding down our yellow-themed week. New Thematic launches tonight at 7:00 p.m. What'll the theme be? How's about electric?
