SPENDING OUR MONEY AT LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES: It’s not actually that hard to avoid big box stores in the inner South East. Through fate and geography they have mostly avoided us. It’s a good long trip by bus or car across town to the closest Home Depot and our smaller, more intimate hardware stores have survived and even thrived because of it.
BULK BUYING DOESN’T ALWAYS SAVE: Lucky for us because sometimes you don’t need the cost savings of a giant bubble pack of screws or nails and the store that sells them individually is the one that saves you time and money. Sometimes you know exactly what you want and just need a quick place to walk over or bike over and grab it. Other times you are really hoping someone will be there waiting for you with the time and patience to help you figure out what’s really going to work.
WOMAN OWNED/WOMAN RUN: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting the woman who has a lot of experience knowing what’s going to work. Her name is Lois Hankins and, believe it or not, all she ever wanted as an adult was to run a hardware store of her own. So . . . after over 20 years working in someone else’s store, her husband Ben did the sensible thing and bought her a hardware store for Christmas (really, that’s how it happened.) She now has two: the sweet little 2,800 square foot Hankins True Value Hardware store at 1720 Hawthorne and it’s slightly larger sister store one block north of Freemont on MLK.
ALL FAMILY RUN: If you get treated like family when you come in, don’t be surprised. The store is staffed by her kids and grand kids (her grand children River and Haley are Sunnyside Environmental School alumni).
CONVENIENCE AND FLEXIBILITY: Lois understands that you make the trips out to the bigger stores for your bigger projects. “Think of us as the 7-11 of hardware stores,” she tells me as she helps a man pick out the right type of screws for the new clock he is mounting. She knows she can’t compete with the lower prices and selection at a national chain store as large as a football field but she does enjoy being more responsive. The big stores can’t carry something because a few people request it, but Lois can.
WHAT’S ON THE SHELVES?: If you are wondering if she has what you need, just call first (Hawthorne 503-236-2372, MLK 503-281-1218) and she’ll check stock before you get there (don’t try that at a big store!).
FREE POPCORN AND DOG TREATS: If you have to bring the kids or dog along they’ll be more than welcomed. There is free popcorn, hard candy and dog biscuits to help buy you some time for looking around. The great selection of grab and go ice cream treats will cost you but it’s also a great afternoon pick me up . . . almost as good as the sound of “can I help you find something” that greets you right when you walk in the door.
FINDING THE STORE: Heads up: Some people don’t even realize there’s a hardware store on Hawthorne. Zoning rules limit the signage the store can use and the building is set off from the street. All the street parking spots right in front of the store between 17th and 18th are zoned for 15minutes only so there should be a spot waiting for you when you come by.
LOTS OF GRATITUDE: Be sure to say hi to Lois, her son Raymond and the grandkids when you come in and thank them for supporting community by supporting The Roost. When you come on Friday nights to our Family time in The Roost, take a peek through the O in Roost sign at our new bathroom work in progress. Lois’s donations have helped build our “community capacity” with handy hardware supplies.
