Beloved Bed-Stuy hardware store shuts its doors after decades of serving community

Warren Hayes took over the store after his mother, who owned it for over 70 years, passed away.

Feb 9, 2023, 2:24 AM

Updated 612 days ago

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The Macon Hardware Store, which has been on the corner of Macon Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard for nearly a century, will soon close its doors for good.  
“I know I’m going to miss it more than anybody else is going to miss it,” said owner Warren Hayes. “It's hard to really get rid of, but unfortunately, I don't really have any other choice." 
Hayes has had many memories in the store – his mother, Clara Hayes, owned the store for more than 70 years before she passed away a year ago.  
Warren says the store has been hard to run since his mother died, so he made the tough decision to put the building on the market. He says he’s not sure when the shop will officially close because the building hasn’t been sold yet, but he looks forward to moving into his newly built home in Senegal.