Gavin’s Ace Hardware to celebrate grand opening with discounts, giveaways

Giveaways and major discounts await those who join John Gavin this week in celebrating his grand reopening of Gavin’s Ace Hardware at his Santini Marina Plaza location on Fort Myers Beach.

Though the store technically opened in April, Gavin had been planning a large grand opening once he fully expanded. Since then, Gavin said he has been adding close to 100 items a week.

On Thursday, Gavin will celebrate the grand reopening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the beginning of four days of heavily discounted merchandise and goods through Sunday. “We will be giving away stuff each day,” Gavin said,.

Gavin decided to open up his new Gavin’s Ace Hardware location at Santini Marina Plaza near the end of last April knowing it was the beginning of the slowest part of the year for business on the island.

With season over and many condos still not reoccupied, Gavin knew it was going to take some time to get going. He wasn’t concerned. He had been looking to get his business on the beach for decades, to add on to his location off San Carlos Boulevard.

Gavin said business has “taken off” in the past month as folks from up north return to the island for the season and condos start to fill up again.

Gavin likens his hardware store to an “old-fashioned general store” in the Midwest that has everything available. The kind of locally owned operation that was once found in every old Hollywood movie but is not as easily found in this day of Walmarts and Amazons.

Yet Gavin’s stores have succeeded, offering everything from tools and hardware to paints, cooking grills and even dish soap, and bird food.

“We’re taking care of people who need little parts to finish projects, household stuff. I am adding close to 100 items a week. If somebody comes in and suggest it and it makes sense, we add it,” Gavin said.

“People are so happy to have somewhere (on Fort Myers Beach) to shop,” he said.

Gavin gave credit to Santini Marina Plaza Yariv Shaked for his diligent work in getting Santini Marina Plaza opened.

“I was talking to some folks today and they were perplexed as to why other businesses were not opening on the beach,” Gavin said. “It made me think of Yariv, how he and his folks started early in the days following the storm to get the plaza up and going again. He faced one challenge after another, but was literally heroic in providing a space and bringing these businesses back to Fort Myers Beach.”

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Gavin’s Ace Hardware will take place at 10 a.m. at Santini Marina Plaza on Fort Myers Beach.