Community leaders are raising money in an effort to save the Crown Market, a 74-year-old West Hartford landmark in danger of closing its doors for good due to economic challenges.
A fundraising initiative could save Crown Market, which is struggling to stand the test of time.
Community leaders Henry M. Zachs, Alan Lazowski and Brian Newman, among others, are working to raise money in hopes of buying the kosher market and renegotiating the lease, according to a news release from the Crown Market.
The market announced last Tuesday that it would be closing.
Owner Mark Bokoff, who bought the Crown in 2009, said tough economic conditions, increasing competition and “one of the worst winters on record in a decade” have dealt the Crown Market a serious blow.
Community members reacted immediately to the news, vowing to do everything in their power to keep the Crown alive.
“We felt like the only choice we had was to spring into action and figure out what we could do,” Rabbi Ilana Garber said last week.
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“As evidenced by the almost 1,650 names on a change.org petition to keep the doors open, the market has been a part of the fabric of the West Hartford community and of the lives of multiple generations of families,” said representatives of the Crown in a release on Monday.
As of Tuesday morning, there are more than 1,700 signatures on the petition.
The new deal would allow for renovations and would create “new types of offerings” at the market, the release says. It would also put the market on “strong financial footing” and set it up for success in the years to come.
“We are blessed to have a community that cares so deeply about saving this precious asset, as well as saving valuable jobs,” Zachs said, in a statement. “We are honored to be part of this local community-wide effort, all working together toward the common goal of ensuring that the Crown Market, a fixture in West Hartford for nearly a century, can continue to thrive for future generations.”
The Crown was founded in 1940 and has been known as “The Good Food Store.”
Check out the cookies at Crown Market since they thought they were closing. Plans for smiling cookies soon! pic.twitter.com/6lrJwFdtlG — Abbey Niezgoda (@AbbeyNiezgoda) February 25, 2014
