NYC FIRESTORE will be closing its doors 6/15

[RWC130 594]

NYC Firestore Website: http://www.nyfirestore.com/

NYC Firestore Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Firestore

Message below is from the NYC Firestore Facebook Page

VERY SAD NEWS.....

PLEASE READ:

Dear friends and customers,
It is with sadness and regret that we must inform you that after 24 years, the Firestore will be closing its doors on Monday, June 15th.

The website will remain open for business, but our West Village retail store will close this coming Monday.

As you may know, our family has owned and operated the Firestore for the past 24 years. After 15 productive years on Lafayette Street, our lease expired, and our new rent was simply too high for us to remain at that location.

9 years ago we moved the Firestore to the West Village. While relocating to the busier street helped initially, long term it did not have the impact that we had hoped. Once Saint Vincent’s Hospital closed removing thousands of people
from our area, small businesses like ours began to close at an alarming rate. What was a challenging juggling act to make ends meet suddenly became nearly impossible.

We renovated the shop, we built a new website and we worked tirelessly to keep our doors open but the location was no longer viable.

We’ve tried to stay ahead, but for the past few years we have lost a little more ground, and these past months we’ve remained open due to the patience and understanding of our landlord and our vendors.

We had hoped to secure a conventional loan that would allow us to move the store further downtown to a smaller & better location
but, like many small businesses, we were unable to secure a loan.

We love the FDNY & our First Responders, and we love you, our customers and friends. We are so very sorry to disappoint you but we’ve run out of time and money.

This past week, we received our eviction notice. We will be packing up this weekend and fulfilling internet orders from the new location.

If you have the chance to come by we’d love to see you before we go. Losing a major part of our income is indeed frightening but not being able to see and interact with our customers on a daily basis is truly painful.

It has been a great honor for our family to have played a small roll in your lives.

You never know, maybe we will find a way to reopen. We are fighters, and while we may be down at the moment, we are not out yet.

Thank you for 24 meaningful & memorable years.

[SageVigiles 1,194]

You mean they won't be able to sell fake NYPD unit patches to tourists that don't know any better anymore? Say it ain't so!

[mamaro40 12]

what a shame I was going to go in may but something came up and I was going to go in September instead.

is there any store like it elsewhere in manhatten that sells fdny shirts and patches?

[x4093k 654]

is there any store like it elsewhere in manhatten that sells fdny shirts and patches?

Yup.

http://www.nycfire.net/FDNY_Firehouses

[SageVigiles 1,194]

Exactly, shirts generally go to that house's fund for improvements, supplies or company events. I'd rather stop by, BS with the guys and support them directly than pay some phony who sells fake stuff.

[M' Ave 1,466]

The above is all correct! T-shirts sold by the companies do help us off-set some in house expenses and we definitely appreciate it.

Also, if you're not in a position to visit a house, the FDNY Fire Zone in Rockafeller Center sells a lot of authorized stuff. That money does go to support the FDNY Foundation which is a non-profit that supports scholarships and other worthy causes.