LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — Since 1987, Mike Moran has been answering the phone at Evans Hardware store on Luzerne Avenue in West Pittston.
"Sometimes we can talk them through it on the phone, and they'll come here for the parts, and they'll call you back and thank you very much for helping them," Moran said.
"Mike's a staple, so people call here just for Mike. People stop here just for Mike. People knock on the window here for Mike," Tom Broda said.
If you think 36 years is an impressive run, the store itself goes back more than 100 years to 1910, though the memories of folks who visit the store now don't date back that far.
"I used to come here to buy BBs and wiffle ball bats. This is the place I came," Broda said.
Over the weekend, the store announced on social media that it would close for good on December 30.
"It was a tough decision. It wasn't an easy decision. We've been thinking about it, and then a couple of things lined up," Broda explained.
Those things included life changes for the owners and the retirement of the store's plumber.
"His name is Ryan. Ryan was a big part of the store, too."
So, 113 years will be the end of the streak for Evans Hardware.
"It's going to be sad. Working with the customers all these years," Moran said.
The owners tell Newswatch 16 they hope to find a new tenant for the space, one that will complement the Crooked Branch, an artisan gift shop next door that sells jewelry and handmade items and hosts classes.
While nothing new is being added to the shelves between now and the end of the month, a lot of items are on sale if you want to stop in to shop or have a chat.