Too Hard a Corner?

When Ken Petrino opened Hards Corner Mobil in 1990, gas was less than $1 a gallon. It was $3.89 when he closed his doors for good on September 1, leaving an ugly, boarded-up gash in the middle of the neighborhood. We’re not sure what factors contributed to the closing — certainly Exxon Mobil isn’t exactly hurting financially — but the fact that he never invested in credit card-accepting pumps couldn’t have helped (so customers had to go into the store twice to buy gas with a credit card). Ken and partner Mike are moving the repair-shop part of the business, at least, to Airway Motors, 1504 Barnum Ave. (377-6370), next to Frankie’s Diner.

We have a sense that other Hards Corner businesses are doing okay, at least on the southwest (Pickle Barrel) and southeast (Jerry’s, Gaetano's) corners. We should all be interested in the future of the property, and we’ll try to find out who the real-estate agent is. Certainly OSNA members would be interested in bringing public pressure to bear to make sure to property doesn’t become, say, “Cosmo’s Adult Boutique.” Keep Hards Corner family- and kid-friendly!