At the cross roads Main Street and Chatham Bars Avenue in Chatham, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, you will find The Mayflower Shop. Established originally in 1885, "the store", as we affectionately call it, has been in our family for 57 years. Summering on the Cape as a child, my father became acquainted with this retail gift store and when he was a young man, he told the owner that he'd be interested if he ever wanted to sell. A while later, the call came, and my mother and grandmother pooled their monies and bought my father the store.
The Mayflower is not just a gift shop, it also sells magazines and newspapers, greeting cards, toys and hobby materials, cigarettes and candy, batteries (of course), and it's the largest supplier of office supplies on the lower Cape. If only the stores creaky wooden floors could speak, what tales they could tell of Chatham over the last 125 years.
"The store" is open 365 days a year and has been the backdrop for lots of drama in our family and lots of learning over the years. My sisters and I learned how to count and make change at the store, standing on a step stool behind the cash register, which was half as tall as we were. We learned about inventory and pricing by counting every item in the store each year, and pricing new inventory as it came in from Dad's suppliers. We learned about customer service and that "the customer is always right (even when they're wrong)". We learned to work and be dependable by the behavior we observed. And we learned patience which was sorely tested every Christmas Day, when Dad worked from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. so presents under the tree were never touched until after lunch.
Well Dad died several years ago now and his wife is going to retire, so the family business is up for sale. The store is special, not only to us, but to so many families who have grown up and old with this landmark - locals and tourists alike. "It's just always been there." Longstanding businesses on Main Street in Chatham do not come up for sale very often, so this truly is a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.
Do you long for a simpler way of life, the life style of a simple New England town, and a really short commute? Do you want to be your own boss, be an integral part of a thriving community, and know nearly everyone in town?
Would you like to call one of the prettiest Main Streets in America your office? The time is now. Check out this unique business/real estate opportunity, because it won't be around for long. What a Christmas present this could be!
