Lower Masury once again has a convenience store with the recent opening of Masury Market at 1299 Broadway Ave., the site of the former Ideal Market.
The store is owned by Mohammed Abu Ali and Khaled Samara, both of Sharon.
Samara, 30, has experience working at a grocery store and gas station in New Castle, but wanted to own his own store, calling it his dream. Ali, 21, is a newcomer to retail and business management.
Neither man had been to Masury before they visited the building the first time, but they had help from Ali’s uncle, Ron Canaan, the former owner of Stateline Market on Superior Street in upper Masury, in assessing the building and deciding what work to do.
The 1930 building, which Samara owns, needed a lot of work and the partners replaced the floor and ceiling, installed new windows, updated the lighting, put in new shelves, fixed a refrigerator and did a lot of cleaning, a five-month job, Ali said.
The store opened Oct. 21 and business has been slow, Ali said.
“Not everybody knows we’re open, yet,” Samara said. “We hope to become more busy.”
The response from those who ventured in has been good, Ali said.
“They come in, they’re surprised,” he said. “This looks way better now. They’re starting to come back. I tell each customer, ‘Please spread the word.’”
The store sells lottery tickets, beer, cigarettes, milk, eggs, snacks, pet food, cleaning products and a small amount of clothing, and Ali pledged to add new items as customers request.
Store hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekends.
