CARBONDALE, Pa. — In 2007, the Mermelstein family became one of the victims of an arsonist who set fires to seven businesses and buildings in Lackawanna County during a 14-month spree.
"It was very devastating just to see everything my parents and grandparents worked for for 60 years headline just to be lit on fire. It was just very devastating. It's still very hard to think about," Michelle Rosler said.
But the family has rebuilt just a few steps away from the old Mermelstein's Marketplace near Carbondale.
"It's heartwarming just to have the family back doing what we love to do and in the community."
More than 75 years and six generations—it's a family business steeped in tradition.
The sixth generation decided to keep a small touch of the old family business both inside and outside of the new building. The new place is called City Line Dollar, and it houses both a marketplace and a small coffee shop.
"We are trying to keep it as local as possible. We do have the dollar store, but our marketplace, from the honey to the artwork to Montdale dairy, everything is local," Rosler said.
Joseph Marsico of Jermyn remembers the old Mermelstein's Marketplace and the fire that destroyed it. This was his first time coming to the new store since it opened about a month ago.
"The old place didn't have a cafe in there. Now this place has a café; you can sit down and have a coffee, cookies, whatever you want to eat."
Business has been good at City Line Dollar so far. The only snags the owners have hit are supply chain disruptions. They're having trouble getting holiday items in.
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