CAN WE SAVE THE SMOKE SHOP?

 

Thursday, 26 April 2012 14:38


By Robin Jovanovich

 

smoke shop-img 3367The old-fashioned charm and character of our community is on the endangered list. Peg and Tony D’Onofrio, owners of The Smoke Shop, received a letter April 25 from their landlord, Fareri Associates of Greenwich, confirming their fear that their lease will not be renewed, and once the owner receives a building permit to renovate the space, they will have four months to vacate.

 

A member of the D’Onofrio family has operated the Smoke Shop for 42 years. It’s called TD’s Smoke Shop after Tony’s father. Peg started working there part-time when her husband was alive, and has long worked alongside her son.

 

Three and a half years ago, the building was sold to Fareri Associates.

 

“Soon after they took over, in December 2008, we started receiving notifications that our lease was null and void,” said Tony. “We’ve been worried ever since we learned our lease wasn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Our lawyer confirmed that.” Since that time, the D’Onofrios have been offered one-year extensions, from April to April.

 

When Rags owner Kevin Butler, another longtime merchant, heard the news, he offered to print posters to put all over town and have T-shirts made with an appeal to save the Rye institution. “If we lose the Smoke Shop, the complexion of the town will change,” said Butler, who is closing his women’s clothing store on Purchase Street after 37 years.

 

“How do you help the mom and pops?” asked Butler. “Can we create a fund to help old timers stay?”

 

While many of the residents and business owners we spoke to said they’d be sorry to see one of Rye’s longest-running businesses close, none were optimistic about the Smoke Shop’s chances. The owner has the right to renovate the space and find a new tenant once he has.

 

The landlord, John Fareri, President and CEO of Fareri Associates, returned our call a few days before the D’Onofrios received the letter informing them that their lease would not be renewed.

“We bought the building in 2008 with the intent of renovating it,” said Fareri. “The recession hit, and I wasn’t in a big rush.

 

“I feel for Tony and Peg. We never raised their rent. Their rent doesn’t cover my expenses and I know they can’t afford the market rent. I’ve been reluctant. I have compassion, too. Should I leave the asset untouched?”

 

Meanwhile, both tenant and landlord received notice that an ADA non-compliance lawsuit has been brought against them by a handicapped Rye resident. The individual has successfully sued a number of other Rye businesses. The increasingly common and costly form of harassment hits small businesses especially hard.

 

Debbie Strati-Padawer, a realtor with Coldwell Banker, said her heart goes out to the D’Onofrios. “They’ve been good tenants for so long. And if they lose the Smoke Shop they lose everything that has meaning to them.” She added, “If they are forced to close, it will be the end of an era for Rye as well, because that corner shop is a landmark in Rye.”

 

Tony said, “We can’t pay what our landlord considers market rate, $45 a square foot. But how many tenants have been able to pay that the last two years and stay in business? European Boutique lasted about a year next door. Merchants are struggling and Rye doesn’t really need another hair and nail salon.” He continued, “We always hoped he would give us a real lease. It may have been an irrational hope.”

 

The future of The Framing Corner on Elm Place is also threatened. Owner Pat Porto, who’s been in the space for over 30 years, said she’s also on a month-to-month lease with Fareri Associates. “I don’t really know where I’ll go. I’m a religious person and I’m counting on God to guide me.


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Comments  

 
# margo brettauer 2012-04-29 14:38
This is a travesty. To answer the question that Mr. Fareri posed:
Yes- you should leave that asset untouched. There are more important things in the world than money. If you do nothing with this building it will not change your life style. However, it will change Peg and Tony's and the whole city of Rye. Compassion...I don't think so......
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# Erin 2012-05-01 15:20
Then you would have to agree to the same argument that when you go to sell you house you SHOULD NOT get the best possible price because it will shut out many potential buyers who could not afford. Thats right its a two way street. WHy should you hold this Landlord to different criteria then you would offer of yourself. Real etate is an INVESTMENT , be it your home or a building its an INVESTMENT.
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# Maya 2012-04-29 19:13
I agree with the comment made by Margo. MANY lives will be changed if the Rye Smoke Shop is forced to vacate. A WHOLE town will be changed. Can't ONE person live a little more within his means?
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# Amanda 2012-04-29 23:47
We've all been afraid of this happening ever since we heard the building had been sold...and to whom. This is not another case of a struggling "mom and pop shop" unable to make it in the economy.This is a case of an institution that has been a part of so many of our lives, from childhood through today, being forced out by greed. Charm, character, loyalty, memories, and history can be a true "asset", too. Peggy & the Smoke Shop really are a huge piece of what is left of Rye's soul...a soul we have all seen die little by little, taken piece by piece over the years. Yes, business is business, but this is personal. There will be a lot of broken hearts should the Smoke Shop go, first and foremost, Peggy and Tony's. Please find a way to save our beloved store.
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# ljv 2012-04-30 02:32
Is there any way to get the shop protected. Places like this belong to the history of the town.
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# Alex 2012-04-30 10:23
OK guys, this obviously sucks, but the issue here is not "Greed". If they can't afford to pay the market rent, then maybe residents who see the value in the historic shop should put together a fund to cover the difference. Or maybe residents should have spoken up when the building's ownership was transferred. In the end, if the shop is considered a town landmark, why didn't the town purchase the building? Why should the owner of the building be forced to subsidize his tenants indefinitely? Tack on to that the pending lawsuit against the tenant and landlord, and it's a pretty far stretch to cry "greed". It's not in the landlord's interest to charge above market rate, and it's definitely not in his interest to subsidize a business facing an ADA lawsuit. This store is a part of my childhood too, and I would hate to see it go, but I don't think the onus should sit on the landlord to run at a loss for the sake of the town's feelings. If the town sees value, it should pay for that value.
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# Dan 2012-04-30 11:39
I agree with Alex. This is an unfortunate situation, but since the shop isn't legally protected in any way, business is business. Mr. Fareri has been giving the Smoke Shop a free pass for the past 4 years, which is more than would have been done by 90% of the real estate partnerships that would have otherwise picked up the property. And let's say that Fareri continues to give them a free pass. He would have to cover the losses from the smoke shop property in his other holdings' rent or capital gains, and if he can't do that, he'll go out of business or be bought out, in which case one of those other firms (in that 90%) will swoop in and do the exact same thing that's happening now, except with considerably less respect for the shop's legacy.
If we all want to make a difference, starting a fund is the best bet. But even that is a long shot- I doubt many people will be willing to put forward the amount money that would indefinitely cover the shortfall in rent for the Smoke Shop (which I'd imagine is in the several million dollar range).
These things happen, and it's sad. But the markets dictate what people want, and it's clear at this point that the Smoke Shop is less of a business and more of a symbol.
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# BSeleno 2012-04-30 17:11
Very harsh words, Dan!! Would you talk the same way if it were your parents shop???????
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# Bob Zahm 2012-05-05 15:39
Harsh? Dan and Alex are being realists. I am a regular customer of the smoke shop and will support keeping it in place, but not at the cost of infringing someone else's rights. The decision about what to do with the property lies with the owner. Period. We can all write to him and ask for an extension of the lease, but to expect that he takes a loss on the property without even a tax write off is irrational.
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# someone who knows Fareri 2012-07-25 00:13
Trust me, John Fareri makes enough money to keep these tenants in the space for a long time if he cares to.
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# CC 2012-04-30 14:34
Has anyone created a fund that would be managed in which the income could be used to pay the rent? I would happily donate. Is anyone actively trying to fund raise for this cause?

Is there any way to have the building categorized as a protected historic site?
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# Jen 2012-04-30 15:19
I agree that it might not be greed as such but it is still a Rye institution and perhaps that should have been considered when the new landlords were purchasing the building. Did they not expect backlash? And, what are they going to do, open up another bank, cheesy store or chain (all detriments to Purchase St)? I LOVE Rye with all my heart but it's changed from the place I grew up. It used to be a close community full of charm but many of the new people and establishments have changed that, and not for the better (some even tacky!). These landlords are no different. It's not necessarily their fault. But of all places, to lose The Smoke Shop? It would be so very sad.
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# Lonnie 2012-04-30 16:49
This doesn't surprise me one bit- Rye has changed so drastically since I use to live there throughout the 80's, 90's, and better pat of the 00's. Look, it's no secret that Rye is a very affluent city and always has been, but the sheer amount of older people who have had to leave the city because of the growing expenses is staggering. Homes rarely sell for under a million dollars, businesses don't last more (typically) than a few years until the rent costs suck them out, old homes are smashed to the ground and replaced by insanely large McMansions on little, tiny plots of land, While I can accept that as part of life and our capitalistic economy- it's still a tough thing to swallow knowing that there is a rather large generation of former Rye residents who will never be able to call Rye home again and will never be able to afford living in Rye. Taxes are absurd, and the newer, more affluent families have been trying to raise taxes on everyone in order to push out any last remaining vestiges of middle class folks. It's torn apart a community. The Smoke Shop is pretty much, at least in my view, one of the last remaining parts of downtown Rye that gives Rye it's nostalgic value. What would the landlord turn that space into? The world's smallest nail salon? I hope that Rye residents band together to help out Tony and Peggy, but the sad reality is that they will probably be the next in a long line of residents pushed out by the influx of ultra-wealthy corporate manhattanites. I won't hold my breath for Rye residents to fully help them either- it's become taboo to even talk about this issue in Rye in public forums, and if you didn't grow up throughout these issues, you wouldn't even notice that they're taking place.
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# Mary-Anne Ward Westley 2012-04-30 22:11
We HAVE to save the Smoke Shop! It's a Rye institution -- an integral part of all our children's lives (we moved to Rye in 1975). Even though the Ward girls are all married and live far away, they remember how kind Peg always was when they bought their Mary Janes and Sugar Daddies -- even when they didn't have quite enough cash! I can't wait to bring my five little grandsons to the Smoke Shop -- they will love it too!
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# Ann Luongo 2012-04-30 22:11
@Lonnie... The plan is to close the Smoke Shop and put Tony and Peggy on the street in order to expand BLOW! She supposedly wangled her way in to get them out. Just what the Rye climate and image doesn't need, a cut rate blow dry shop on the corner. I thought Rye was classier than this, but I guess not. Whats next, a McDonald's drive thru? Problem is, everyone is money hungry. They should do what's right for Rye.
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# Bob Zahm 2012-05-05 18:36
If your comment about Blow is correct, then it would seem a letter writing / boycott campaign of Blow would be an appropriate action. Anyone commenting on this blog go to Blow?
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# gena 2012-05-11 17:36
Quoting Bob Zahm:
If your comment about Blow is correct, then it would seem a letter writing / boycott campaign of Blow would be an appropriate action. Anyone commenting on this blog go to Blow?

BLOW has no intention of expanding in Rye. We are expanding to Greenwich.
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# Henri 2012-05-01 09:08
I go into that shop every Sunday with my children for a newspaper after having breakfast out at a local restaurant. It's a weekend ritual for my family and now a hairdresser wants the space. Rye Council needs to put their foot down and say no to these 'now you see them, now you don't shops' . We don't need another hair salon in Rye, especially one thats named BLOW. Enuf said.
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# Average Citizen 2012-05-08 17:14
Quoting Henri:
I go into that shop every Sunday with my children for a newspaper after having breakfast out at a local restaurant. It's a weekend ritual for my family and now a hairdresser wants the space. Rye Council needs to put their foot down and say no to these 'now you see them, now you don't shops' . We don't need another hair salon in Rye, especially one thats named BLOW. Enuf said.


Isn't the Smoke Shop closed on Sundays???
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# tedc 2012-05-01 12:33
Glad to see people engaged in this one – quality of life supports our real estate values – and The Smoke Shop is a symbol of old Rye that those values partially reply on. Been to Old Greenwich lately? There are more mom & pop survivors up there than anywhere on the NY high-tax side of the line. Rye long-timers can recite a sad list of once mainstay business’s that brought life to our “village.” Chains don’t do that. The owner here sounds like a decent guy. I think it’s in his best interests to keep The Smoke Shop somehow.
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# Ann Luongo 2012-05-02 22:47
That's it? All these comments and we're not going to do anything?
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# Jeff 2012-05-03 10:23
My grandfather, Charlie Bursey, worked in the Smoke Shop after his retirement. He passed away in 1979. It has been many years since I lived in Rye, but this corner store is as vivid in my memory as the photo in this article. I know Rye has changed over the years. I hope something can be done to preserve something of its character, its history, as inevitable changes occur. It is perhaps just a sentimental hope with respect to the Smoke Shop. Good luck.
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# Ann 2012-05-04 09:08
@Dan. Harsh words there buddy. You must be on Ferari's payroll.
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# Robert 2012-05-15 08:01
:cry: :o :sad: :oops: ;-) :-) :D 8) :oops: :sad: :sad: :o :-? :zzz :sigh: :roll:
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# Lindsey Russell 2012-05-15 16:26
Thank you so much for bringing the story of the Smoke Shop to everyone’s attention. I have hesitated to write until I felt I could also act but I was heartbroken when I first read the article a few weeks ago. I am in my early thirties and have spent most of my life in Rye. When I was little, my friends and I used to run down to the Smoke Shop and get sour candies and bubble tape. When I was a bit older, my mom used to drop me off after school so I could check out the latest magazines. When I left Rye for school I always knew I was home again when I caught sight of the Smoke Shop in town. Recently I have made a conscious effort to cancel my magazine subscriptions and support the Smoke Shop as I know such institutions are disappearing fast. I had not been through the doors in years and was, as always, greeted with such genuine kindness. Peg looked at me and asked how my brothers and family were as if not a day had passed.

This is what makes Rye what it is. I understand the laws dictating this issue, the market demands, and our changing economy. I am part of a generation who will probably not be able to live in the town we grew up in. People of my age are either moving away or buying homes from their parents as they retire. While there is nothing one can do about this, everyone must understand the value of the character of Rye. Our town’s quality does not just depend on its proximity to Manhattan and good schools to support a competitive real estate market but also the physical charm of its downtown buildings and the heart of the people like Peg and Tony. No one would want to buy a house at these prices in a town with a strip populated by nondescript banks and nail salons.

I was so pleased when I ran into Amber Nee the other week and saw that she has started to do something about it. We have taken her petition and brought it online. Please visit our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SAVE-TDs-Rye-Smoke-Shop/288335907927414 or the petition directly on change.org: http://www.change.org/petitions/rye-city-council-and-planning-board-declare-t-d-s-rye-smoke-shop-to-be-a-historic-landmark-2

Thank you,
Lindsey Russell
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# Ann 2012-05-15 22:45
Awesome!! If Blow is not interested in expanding to the Smoke Shop, as per their own comment, who is going to want that small space? No one .... Mr. Ferrari should be made aware of this new revelation since their intentions have suddenly changed due to public outcry. Those were NOT the facts before. Blow this.
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