charlieb wrote in
:

Patriarch wrote:

I don't know, Brian. We have a bunch of them. Most of them are run
by folks that have been in the business for a long time. We went to
a community dinner the other evening, and I was reminded of another
place I used to go a lot, and still do, three or four times a year
for certain stuff. They've been around since the 50's. 4 stores,
Ace Hardware franchise. They were sponsoring the local swim team.
Their buildings aren't falling down, but then, this is California,
and the prices are really high for real estate, so no one really
treats them like junk.

snip

Glad we have hardware stores like those around still.


Los Gatos Hardware / Ace being one of themby any chance?

charlie b


Might be. That's 70 miles from home, and I haven't been in there in
maybe 20, 25 years.

This one is Bill's Ace, in Pleasant Hill, Concord and Martinez. The
first one I mentioned is Eames Hardware, on the border between Martinez
and Pleasant Hill.

They have to be everywhere. If you look, they still are. There's a
chain up in Lake County, called Hardester's, that is hardware at some
locations, groceries at others, and both at some. It's near my dad's
place, and I get there about every time we drive up. Same kind of
folks.

Petaluma has a couple. Sebastapol. Santa Rosa. There's more, I'm
certain.

Patriarch