WAYMART, Pa. — Monday morning saw one customer after another go in and come out of Hayes Market in Waymart empty-handed after the business announced over the weekend that it would be closing for good.
"There's lots of people here during the summer. It doesn't make sense to me that it would have closed," said Barbara Gannett of Elk Lake.
She and other shoppers say the family-owned market has been a staple in the community since 2019.
In November 2019, owner Rich Hayes opened the store in the former Ray's Market, which closed earlier that same year.
Hayes did not wish to go on camera, but told Newswatch 16 there are several reasons he decided to close the store- but he would not elaborate.
With the closure of Hayes Market here in Waymart, residents tell us they will now have to travel 15 to 20 extra minutes outside of the area just to pick up their groceries.
"Now, we pretty much have to go down to Honesdale or over to Carbondale to wise, or up to Forest City to Zazzera's," said Gannett.
"You get better care in there than you do in the big stores," said Kay Dulay of Honesdale.
Dulay says she'll have to rely on big chains like Walmart for the groceries she would normally get at Hayes.
"It was very sad. Yeah," said Dulay. "I really liked going in there. It was a nice little store, nice and clean."