Common Fence Point's little store that could

Little Corner Store hopes to find community support

By Jim McGaw
Posted 12/30/17

PORTSMOUTH — Mohamad Hajjar says he wants it to happen, but he needs the support of the neighbors.

His Little Corner Store, which has been back in business “on an off” for …

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Common Fence Point's little store that could

Little Corner Store hopes to find community support

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — Mohamad Hajjar says he wants it to happen, but he needs the support of the neighbors.

His Little Corner Store, which has been back in business “on an off” for the past few months, is trying to make a comeback in hopes of staying open for good.

The store at 903 Anthony Road — at the corner of Rhode Island Boulevard — dates back to the 1940s, Mr. Hajjar believes.

Longtime Common Fence Point resident Jackie Shearman knows the store well.

“I’ve been here 50 years and it was here then,” she said. “When I came it was the Mitchell family who owned it — Mom and Pop Mitchell. Through the years, Morgan Butterworth and her mother Pauline owned it for a while. Ronald Bahnsen and his wife also had it for a while.”

Mr. Hajjar said he’s owned the store since 2002. He bought another business in Tiverton — Step by Step Mart — but then decided to focus just on his Portsmouth store.

“I tried it before and I couldn’t get anywhere with it because winter is so tough,” Mr. Hajjar said at the store recently. “The bills will not hibernate. In the summer you’re always OK with the marina, but in the winter you need the support of the community. I tell them the way it is. It has to be a mutual thing; we both will win or we both will lose.”

The Little Corner Store offers dairy products such as milk and butter, as well as bread, snacks, newspapers, candy, fresh Green Mountain coffee and other items typical to a convenience store.

“I’ve been in this business for 26 years, so I know the whole trade. I’m not a newcomer to it,” Mr. Hajjar said, adding the establishment also has an ATM machine and that he accepts credit cards with no minimum purchase.

The store also sells some pre-made foods such as salads and Mr. Hajjar hopes to have a deli up and running soon. “We’ll have the basic sandwiches like Italian, chicken salad. We’re just waiting for the OK from the Board of Health,” he said. 

“People are excited about it. I’m going to put in a suggestion box here, as well as at the (Common Fence Point) Community Center,” said Mr. Hajjar, who hopes to work closely with the hall during special events, such as its recent food truck nights. 

‘Wish him the best’

Ms. Shearman said there’s no reason the store can’t succeed.

“It is very nice,” she said. “It was always nice. I used to bring the kids and the grandchildren there for ice cream. There are over 700 families down here. It’s great to have, especially when the boating crowd comes in; they come in and buy sandwiches and stuff.”

She noted that Mr. Hajjar has “put a ton of money in there,” including new lighting. 

“I think if he promotes it, they might take to it. People want it and they’d love to support it. We wish him the best,” she said.

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Meet our staff
Jim McGaw

A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.