SCRANTON — Business owners within Green Ridge Corners believe in strength in numbers.
That’s what makes the impending closure of Sanderson Place Salon and Spa particularly difficult for the nearby shop owners.
The salon along Sanderson Avenue will close May 3 after more than five decades in business. Attempts to reach representatives from Sanderson Place regarding the closure were unsuccessful.
“We do a lot of things in Green Ridge as a community with the businesses,” said Leah Geldhof, owner of Changes Luxury Consignment on Sanderson Avenue. “I’m sad to see them go because they’ve been here for so long and it’s been an established place in Green Ridge. I get a lot of customers wandering in and looking around before or after their appointments. I’m sad to see them leave the same as I was sad to see Linda Kay’s (Diner) leave because that really hurt our business around here, too, because the food draws people in. But there is a new place — A’s Eatery — so we’re excited about that. I’m pretty sure it will help the area, but we’re super sad about Sanderson closing. I’m praying another salon goes in there because it’s a great facility for one.”
However, Geldhof also recognizes the struggles each small business faces in today’s world.
“We can all relate and understand,” she said. “Rent is going up all over and landlords are not the best in the area. We all work together and promote each other, but we’ve definitely seen a decline among small businesses. I think people are shopping online more than getting out, but the advantage of small businesses is that I know almost all my customers — they’ve become my friends and that’s been really awesome. Plus they know they can come to all these businesses if they need a donation for the schools or anything else.
“I really feel we need to try to keep these small businesses open because they’re part of the community. If more close, it would be devastating for the area. We’re all just trucking along, trying to make it work.”
Michelle Petraitis, owner of the Curiosity Shop on East Market Street for three decades, has witnessed many changes in the neighborhood and feels optimistic about the current state of affairs, despite some continued challenges.
“I’ve been here 30 years, and it has been really empty, and we’re kind of full right now,” she said. “There is always an ebb and flow, but this is the most diverse group of storefronts. I’m always hopeful and I’m stubborn, that’s the reason I’m still here. I’ve been here duking it out and I’m sad to see stores closing. We’ve lost some good ones. I think it’s important for all of us to stick together.”
Petraitis anticipates the closing of Sanderson Place will leave a void in the business community.
“It’s going to affect us definitively,” she said. “It will be very sad that such a strong anchor for the area is going to be gone within the next couple weeks. The traffic is going to be dramatically different because of them being gone. Those were people who came every month.”
Petraitis holds out hope that more customers will continue supporting local shops and shift away from the major retailers.
“There is a boycott of Target and some of the big-box stores because of their personal beliefs that is pushing some people back into small businesses,” she said. “It would be really nice to see the movement of shopping locally and supporting local economies, which I think are two very important things. If you shop here, you also get the added benefit of seeing neighbors and friends.”
Tim Wagner’s Sports Corner represents another mainstay of the corners for nearly 40 years — supplying fans of sports teams from Boston to Oakland with apparel they couldn’t find anywhere else locally.
“I’ve been blessed … people have been fantastic to me,” owner Tim Wagner said. “I often say they may have started out as customers, but now they’re pretty much all friends. I know 90% of the people who come in on a first-name basis. We try to get a little something for most (teams), where the bigger guys just focus on the local markets.”
Wagner feels both people and retailers gravitate toward the Green Ridge area because of its strong reputation.
“It’s a great location, so thank goodness whenever there is turnover, I believe the location has a way of attracting new businesses,” he said. “It’s a great neighborhood.”
Meanwhile, Alex Ayala aims to carve out his own legacy after opening A’s Eatery on Sanderson Avenue on March 23 — in the former spot of Linda Kay’s — serving a hybrid American, Mexican and Italian menu.
“It brings a lot of flavors,” said Ayala, 24, of South Scranton. “You can get pasta one day, fajitas one day, burgers, wings. I learned from a great chef from New York, who has three businesses in the Poconos. Just like everybody else, I started as a dishwasher when I was 15 and worked my way up from there.”
The early support from customers provided a boost to Ayala.
“It was a great first week,” he said. “They were waiting to see what was coming into town and they were excited we brought Mexican food into the area.”
Geldof remains hopeful business will pick up as the weather warms up this spring and summer.
“In the last year, I think there’s been a little bit slower turnout based on the economy,” she said. “I think people are really watching their money, but shopping consignment is the way to save money. It’s a great walking neighborhood and whenever it’s sunny people are out and about. We open our doors and pull things out, and it’s just a little bit more festive. With the warm weather, I’m sure it’s going to bring in a lot more business. People are in a better mood and they want to spend more money.”
Geldof cherishes the relationships formed with customers and looks forward to a stronger economic outlook moving forward.
“I get to know everybody and figure out their life stories, which you don’t really get at the big-box stores,” she said. “I’m praying the economy gets better and more people will shop and learn more about consignment. We’re all pretty optimistic. You pour a lot into a small business, so you just want to see it succeed.”
The Curiosity Shop owner Michelle Petraitis at her store on Market Street in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The Curiosity Shop on Market Street in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The Curiosity Shop on Market Street in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
The display of Jellycat and other stuffies at the Curiosity Shop on Market Street in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Changes Luxury Consignment on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Changes Luxury Consignment on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Changes Luxury Consignment on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A’s Eatery on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A’s Eatery owner 24-year-old Alex Ayala at his restaurant on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. According to the restaurant’s Instagram page, A’ Eatery celebrated its grand opening on March 23, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Owner Alex Ayala holds a bowl of cream of mushroom soup at his restaurant A’s Eatery on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Homemade potato chips at A’s Eatery on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Shops along Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Tim Wagner’s Sports Corner on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Tim Wagner’s Sports Corner on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Tim Wagner’s Sports Corner on Sanderson Avenue in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Cuppa Cake Cafe on Market Street in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Sanderson Place at Sanderson Ave. in Scranton on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)