After Beacon Paint and Hardware closed after 120 years, the landlord, Brusco, has taken over the space. There is now a new hardware store operating out of 371 Amsterdam Avenue.
We spoke to Bruce Stark, one of the former owners of Beacon Paint and Hardware. He told us they’ll be changing the sign to only say “Beacon Hardware”, as they won’t be selling paint. They’ll also be removing the “Benjamin Moore” sign.
The person running the new hardware store told us they’d be removing (or altering) the sign within the next month or so. This includes removing the word “paint” from both the storefront and their trucks, which they acquired from the original Beacon Paint and Hardware.
Bruce told us that the landlord took back the space because he preferred to avoid another empty storefront.
It also sounded like they’d be keeping part of the “Beacon” name for branding purposes, as it’s become so well known among Upper West Siders.
The owners of long-time staple Beacon Paint and Hardware – Steven, Bruce and Ellen Stark – recently announced that they’d be working at the Janovic Paints store on 72nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues. From here, they plan to continue their legacy of helping those in the neighborhood.
When I spoke to Bruce, he told me the best business lesson he ever got was from his dad – who told him to treat people right and he’d never have a problem. This lesson kept the Stark family in business for 120 years, which now, is pretty much unheard of on the Upper West Side and in NYC.
