By Christina Scanlon
There was no sign on the locked doors Tuesday morning, but everyone in town was already spreading the news.
Scotties’, a popular gathering place on Granville’s Main Street, is closed.
For good.
Lisa Chapman, who has worked at the restaurant for three years, said she received her call from owner Tom Scott about 7 p.m. Monday.
“He said, ‘I’m sorry, I’m closing Scotties’ for good,’” Chapman said. “His voice was shaky. He said, ‘I just have no money’.”
Chapman left work Monday after her 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. shift, having no idea she’d get that call just hours later.
“We were busy, like always. It was steady,” she said.
Tuesday morning, just 12 hours after hearing she had no job, she was on the phone and searching ways to see if she can take over the business.
“I don’t know what the situation is,” she said of the business’ finances, “but I know this place can be successful if it’s run right.”
Chapman said she helped run her family business, Scarlotta’s Car Hop, since the age of 13.
“We have a big family,” she said. “I think we could do it.”
Scott did not return a request for comment.
Washington County Real Property Tax records show the building, at 18-20 Main St., is owned by Angelo Scott Jr. Records also show taxes are paid up to date.
Chapman is optimistic she can find a job elsewhere, regardless of whether Scotties’ is a viable option to purchase and reopen. Several of the employees work part time, so Chapman was hopeful the sudden unemployment wouldn’t be devastating for them.
Full-time cook Josh Stevens could not be reached for comment.
John Macri has handled the front of the store operation for years, most recently helping out with serving in the dining area.
He declined comment, saying it was too soon.
When Granville village clerk Rick Roberts was asked by phone late Tuesday morning if he could comment, either as a village official or as a frequent loyal customer, he said, “I have to do both. Scotties’ was more than a coffee shop. It’s an institution in Granville.”
A sign propped inside the front window reads, “The tradition lives on since 1932.”
It was that tradition for locals, now lost, that had Roberts concerned.
“It’s the gathering place,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to socialize and celebrate the little things. It’s the place where you share the news of the day.”
No cars were parked on Main Street Tuesday morning. Others businesses don’t open until later. Nearing lunch time, people were parking and walking up to the darkened storefront.
They’d heard the rumor, but came anyway in disbelief.
“Is it true?” asked Jim Sloane, of Wells, Vt., while standing on the sidewalk.
“I come here to see my friends,” Sloane said. “For them and for the coffee and for the waitresses. I come here for the atmosphere.”
As he headed back to his car, Chip Sorrell, West Pawlet, Vt., pulled up alongside him, there for the same reason.
“Holy smokes,” he said, learning it was a fact.
“Where can we get six cups of coffee for 75 cents,” one asked the other before parting.
Sloane was leaving to find Herb Burkhard, a regular he meets there daily.
“I have to go find Herb. I’ll pick him up and take him to Pine Grove Diner,” he said.
He left in search of Burkhard, not knowing he was just up the street a ways, sitting on a bench. The two missed each other.
“My heart goes out to Tom and the staff,” Roberts said.
From a business perspective, “This is not particular to Granville. This is happening all over. It’s tough to stand alone,” Roberts said of the many vacant storefronts on Main Street.
“Tom’s done a lot for Granville for a long time. He’s got a great sense of community. I think he tried on behalf of the greater good, to keep it going. I think he hung in there a lot longer than many of us would.”