SILVER RUN, Md — After nearly 60 years in business, the owner of Brewer’s Market in Silver Run is throwing in the towel. He started working at his parents’ store when he was 13. Now, at almost 60, he says the business just isn’t sustainable anymore. But if you think this is a story about giving up when times get tough, you’re sorely mistaken.
“Well, we talked to our accountant five years ago, and he said, 'you need to close the store.’ And I said, ‘I’m gonna try a little bit longer.’ Well it turned into five years, and about $350,000 worth of loss.”
The financial troubles date all the way back to the early 2000s, when the local elementary school, the nucleus of the community, closed. Then came the recession in 2008.
“When all the bills stay the same, and your customer count goes to half, you can’t make it," Doug told us.
But Doug still kept trying for another decade and a half. Ultimately, he just couldn’t compete with the big box stores.
“Their prices are better, their volume, variety. I couldn’t do all that."
But what those big box stores lack, is exactly what customers here are going to miss the most.
They don’t have a Doug. Or a Molly behind the register. Or a Mike who lives across the street and comes here almost every day. Or longtime customer George who saved the store from getting crushed by a Dollar General a few years back.
People will miss the convenience, yes, but they’ll miss the sense of community more.
“I met a lot of people at the store. [Doug’s] become a good friend of mine. And just seeing the community, meeting people you don’t normally meet just driving through," Mike Craig said. "We came here every day. Didn’t have to make a shopping list, we’d just come over. We knew he’d be here. He served our community well. It’s gonna be sad to see him go.”
“I’m really sad that it’s closing,” former employee Shayla Barry said. "I worked here for 10 years on and off. I have a lot of memories here. My husband and I actually worked here together.”
And Doug didn't just fight for his small business, according to the customers who work down the street at Peterson Automotive.
“If it wasn’t for Doug, we probably wouldn’t even be open down there. He spread the word when I came into town, about working on cars, and he pretty much grew my business overnight,” said owner David Peterson.
“I’m gonna miss their deli, but we love Doug. Like Dave was saying, he’s really helped us with our business, and we’re gonna be sad to see him go. But things change. This place was very well-loved," Brooke Meely said.
Today was going to be the last day of business, but in true Doug form, he’s making one final push next week to try and clear the shelves.
“Hopefully, Monday, Tuesday, maybe we can clean up enough inventory, turn the refrigeration off, save the electric, so the electric bill’s not outrageous, and that’ll be the end of us, unfortunately.”
Before then, he has one final message for his lifelong customers.
Through tears, he says, “Honestly, thank you. We wouldn’t have made it this far, or this long, if we hadn’t had the support that we did have.”
