I had two occasions to shop downtown this weekend at the Mast General Store. Located a couple of doors down is Bentley’s Bookshop. I was dismayed to see a "Store Closing" sign on the door. Greenville has a dirth of used bookstores, especially of the quality of Bentley’s. I have to admit that I tended to browse more than purchase. Unfortunately, apparently so did most of their patrons.
Not only was Bentley’s closing, but the two storefronts next to it were closing, all the way down to the corner of Main and East North. That’s going to leave a large empty gap in a prominent portion of Main. I’m sure some restaurant will come in to fill it, although what we really need is more retail downtown.
The downtown closings weren’t the only thing that affected me this week. Barberitos was nearby on Pelham Road, and served up great burritos. It was a great place to get a quick meal. Laura and I had commented that they needed more customers, and tried to spread the news word-of-mouth. I tried to stop by there Friday before my concert, only to find the sign gone and a notice on the door. Oh well, I guess if we don’t patronize these places, they won’t stick around.