The Death of Benny’s — a Little Bit of Our Soul is Gone

Name: Go Local Prov
Price range: $

Sunday, September 10, 2017

EDITORIAL

It is where you bought the first bike - the red one with the training wheels. It is where you bought the plunger, the beach chair, the awesomely cheap badminton set, and the spray paint.

No one ever said, “I can’t believe they charged me so much for…” after shopping at Benny’s.

It is a special place where Tim Daly talked about why he loved going to Benny’s on The Tonight Show.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

Yes, many parts of the country had the local chain that once dominated and then drifted away. But, Benny’s beat back the likes of Walmart and grew even bigger.

Did they keep up with retail trends -- probably not. Did they give great value and nice service -- almost always yes.

The family that founded and ran the company for nearly one-hundred years were good people. They employed hundreds and worked hard to be a good corporate citizen. The Bromberg’s are good people.

It is a sad moment. More than 700 are out of work.

It is the death of a nice, simple, and valued part of the fiber of Rhode Island. We will all be a little lost without the opportunity to shop at Benny’s.