Benny’s is my favorite store!

Did you read that in the sing song commercial voice? Because that’s how it came out in my head. 

Growing up in Rhode Island, Benny’s has always been my favorite store. All of my kites, sleds, and bikes have come from that wonderful place, and now that it is closing for good, I can’t help but be sad. 

Participating in the Orange Crate Derby as a child, I would get so excited to go into Benny’s with my Dad to pick out new wheels, paint and any other accessories I wanted to adorn my cart with. As I got older and graduated from a soapbox car to my first Jeep, Benny’s was still the place to go for anything I needed.

Windshield wipers, cabin air filters, floor mats, my options were limitless. 

Benny’s had everything you could ever want or need, and truly was a one-stop shop. From tires to turkey-basters, pool noodles and trash bins, there was nothing you couldn’t find at Benny’s.

Now, I understand that anything I could find at Benny’s, I could find on Amazon, but Amazon doesn’t smell magical. And by magical I mean like rubber tires. Ever since I was a small child, I’ve been in love with the smell of Benny’s. And so has my sister.

Kathleen was on a date once, and the boy mentioned he needed to go to Benny’s later. Kathleen asked if she could go with him because she likes the smell. There was no second date.

Did I mention my Mom used to work there? Maybe that’s why Kathleen and I are so obsessed. We were born with a Benny’s-loving gene. While I attended URI, the Wakefield Benny’s became my new shopping headquarters, and of course still had the same amazing smell.

My purchases in college mostly consisted of Del’s lemonade packets, red solo cups and snow shovels (that sounds like a fun party, right?), but anything else I needed to get through my semesters, I could find at Benny’s. 

When I recently moved out to Los Angeles and was moving into our first apartment, I would constantly say to James how I wish there was a Benny’s out here. Nowhere on the West Coast could I find hardware, appliances, home goods, food, and anything else I could think of in the same store! Man did I miss Benny’s. 

I came back home to Bristol for a week earlier in the summer, and had a checklist of things I wanted to do. Among getting a Del’s, visiting Ocean Mist, and spending time with family, “smelling Benny’s” made it onto my list. My Dad and I went to Benny’s together one last time, and as soon as those automatic doors opened, I sucked in the biggest smell-catching breath I could.

“Ahhh” The sweet smell of rubber tires! I purchased about 10 packets of Del’s mix, and took one last walk around the store. 

Little did I know, that would be the last time I ever stepped foot into a Benny’s. I was honestly devastated when my parents told me that Benny’s would be closing. Benny’s is a Rhode Island staple, just like Allie’s Donuts and the Big Blue Bug. 

Benny’s, you had a great run, and will be greatly missed.

P.S. if anyone knows how to make candles, look into making a Benny’s scented one, and my sister and I will be your greatest customers.

Kelly Coccio

Kelly is a Bristol native currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif. She writes her own blog.