HOUSATONIC — An iconic retail fixture in this village is being sold, but not to worry: Aberdale’s will remain. The faces in the store’s office will change, but the store’s essential mission will not.
That was the message at last night’s selectboard meeting, as Joe Aberdale asked the board to transfer his liquor license to the Patel family, which owns several other package stores, including the Spirit Shop in Williamstown. The buyers have incorporated as Saanvi Liquor Inc., with Sureshkumar Patel as president.
Current owner Joe Aberdale, whose family has owned the food and package store since 1961, said the decision to sell wasn’t something the family took “lightly” because the Aberdales have owned the store for 60 years. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but the Patels’ attorney, Matthew Porter, did say Aberdale was financing the sale himself.
See video below of Monday’s selectboard meeting. Fast forward to 25:00 to see the discussion concerning Aberdale’s:
“Owning your own family business … is not always the easiest thing to do,” Aberdale told the board. “When we reached out to the third generation of our family, no one wanted to undertake this endeavor.”
Aberdale’s late father Joseph, a pharmacist by training, and mother Dolores, became the proprietors of Housatonic Pharmacy and A&J Sporting Goods in 1961. The store eventually transformed into Aberdale’s, a food and package store directly across from the post office on Depot Street, and just around the corner from the Housatonic fire station on Front Street. The younger Aberdale also owns a gun store next door that will not be part of the sale.
“I’m no spring chicken … I’m getting a little bit older here and I’ve had a few health issues in the past,” Aberdale said. “Eventually the business was going to have to be sold or closed or something along those lines.”
Aberdale said several potential buyers had shown interest over the years and the Patel family had approached him “quite some time ago.” Aberdale has visited several of their stores and had lengthy conversations with them about Housatonic and the store’s involvement in the community.
“It’s not just being a store but also being a good neighbor,” Aberdale said. “And I’ve witnessed that in a lot of their current establishments.”
While the store will no longer be in his family, Aberdale said he will stay on after the sale “for quite some time in the future to make sure things are going the way we all want.”
Porter described the Patels as “a very experienced operational group” that “understands the rules and responsibilities” of owning a package store, especially in “making sure everyone is carded properly and that all protocols are being followed.” All staff will be TIPS certified by the state, Porter added. TIPS stands for “training and intervention procedures for servers of alcohol.”
The old Aberdale’s will no doubt be missed. Michelle Loubert, who grew up in Housatonic and still lives there, says she understands why Joe Aberdale chose to sell, but she hopes the new owners continue to sell frozen treats.
“I don’t know what people will do on a sweltering summer’s day without Aberdale’s soft serve ice cream,” Loubert told The Edge. “The best in town! So nice to see people sitting out front enjoying the simple pleasure of an ice cream cone.”
Selectboard chair Steve Bannon, like the elder Aberdale a pharmacist by training, empathized with the younger Aberdale. Bannon and his father Bill owned and operated Bill’s Pharmacy in Great Barrington for over 40 years, until it was sold to CVS in 2009. Bannon himself now works as a pharmacist at Fairview Hospital.
“I’ve known the Aberdale family a long time, and Joe, you’re right,” Bannon said. “It’s hard to run a family-owned store. It’s even harder to sell it, so I wish you good luck and your family good luck.”
“Although the name may change and the faces may change a little bit, the presence in Housatonic and being part of the community will continue,” Aberdale added.
