by David Flint
Rumors have been circulating for some time now that Dave’s Supermarket in Stephentown may be closing. Recent promotions at the store with most items marked down 10% – or more recently 20% – have not done anything to reduce the speculation. Owner Alpesh Patel said this week, however, that the rumors are just that – rumors, and he has ended the 20% sale. Patel confirmed earlier that sales traffic at the store had fallen off considerably in the last couple of years causing financial hardship. The store has been up for sale for some time, but Patel said no decision had been made to close down. He now says that the store will stay open at least through August.
Dave’s was started as Dave’s Minimarket in 1973 by Dave Desormeaux who took over a tiny grocery store that had been built in the early fifties by Ulysses Sweener for Arthur Stevens. Desormeaux continually expanded the store over the years, renaming it Dave’s Supermarket in the early 1990s. He retired and sold the store to Alpesh and Paresh Patel three years ago.
