Bryant Hardware’s decades-long run in downtown Arkansas City came to an abrupt end Wednesday.
Bank officials stepped in and took control of the business and assets of the company, which has been operated by someone named Bryant for over 80 years. Zach Bryant ? the store’s most recent owner ? said he was given the day to clear out personal belongings.
He wrapped that up around 4:30 p.m.
That the store at 102 S. Summit closed was less of a surprise than how quickly everything happened. Bryant thought he had another three weeks to find a buyer or at least have a liquidation sale.
Profits had dropped for months and were especially poor in February, he said. Sales dropped, then inventory dropped and customer interest followed suit. A slow economy didn’t help much either.
"I put the blame on me," Bryant said. "I don’t think I fit the mold that Ark City thinks a business owner should be."
Bryant also acknowledged he lacked some of the experience necessary to run the business.
"I look different and I act different and some mistook me for being rude," he said. "And if I have been rude, I apologize for it. I never intended to be rude."
Big box home improvement stores put pressure on the corner hardware store, Bryant said. Bryant Hardware ? with its creaky wood floors and old-timey feel ? was a throwback to a time before the big box model.
Bryant said he is hopeful a buyer can be found to keep the store running ? albeit under ownership outside the Bryant family.
The store’s site said Lou and Hester Bryant purchased Bryant Hardware from a man named C. R. Sipes in 1926.? Hardware became tradition in the Bryant family as Lou’s son, Vic, Vic’s sons John and Alan, and John’s son Zach have all owned and operated the business.?
