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NHL stars, family and friends buy the area’s beloved variety store
The Long Lake convenience store has reopened as a Long Lake general store in Sudbury, Ontario, under the new ownership of the Foligno family, the Grossi family and the Nesci family. For the announcement on Friday, June 24, 2022, there was Nick Foligno, left, Frank Grossi, Gianna Grossi, Mike Foligno and Ryan Nesci. John Lappa / Sudbury Star / Postmedia Network John Lappa / Sudbury Star
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The beloved Long Lake variety store is gearing up for a celebratory weekend to mark its grand reopening with a new property.
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For decades, the store was a benchmark within the community until it went on sale in late winter.
The list piqued the interest of NHL player and Southbound Nick Foligno, who quickly realized he wasn’t the only one who had his eye on it.
“I was looking at houses and I saw it for sale,” he said. “I texted Frank (Grossi) out of nowhere and said,‘ Hey, are we doing this? “
“And he said,‘ Are you serious? In fact, it could be in the process of being bought. “
The purchase soon became a collaboration between the Foligno family, which includes Nick, father Mike, and brother Marcus, Grossi, and Ryan Nesci.
On Friday, they officially cut the ribbon for their new company, now called the Long Lake General Store.
“We understood how important this could be to the community, and it has been for us for a while,” Foligno said. “I had a shop on the corner in front of my grandparents’ house that we loved and I hope we can do it here, that kind of feeling for the people in this community. I think we have the right people and the right hearts. to do it”.
Now, with a revamped look, which includes a new poster on the front, the store will offer many of the same products, as well as a variety of new items for you to buy.
“We have the typical stuff from the corner store to grab and carry, but we’ve sorted it out a bit,” new co-owner Ryan Nesci said. “We have two different brands that you wouldn’t normally see in a corner store. We also have some fresh things to take with you for lunch and we’ve added a freezer section for prepared frozen foods.”
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Its selection will also appeal to many campers in the area, according to Nesci, with a variety of camping staples on offer, such as BBQ accessories, firewood and fishing supplies, including worms.
According to Grossi, the store is a staple in the community, and new owners see it as a way to give back.
“I’ve been here since 2004,” Grossi said. “It’s this motto of keeping things under the hill, so we don’t have to go over the hill to get what we need. We want to keep it on Long Lake. “
With the doors open, the new owners will welcome community members to their grand opening ceremony on Sunday, June 26th. It will offer popcorn, ice cream and free prizes, as well as a raffle for t-shirts from the Foligno brothers.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Janis Foligno Foundation, which raises funds for breast cancer research in memory of Janis Foligno, Mike’s wife and the siblings ’mother, who died of the disease in 2009.
“With our family, we’re always trying to find ways to get back to Sudbury,” Nick said. “Either the Janis Foligno Foundation or those involved.
“It’s something we’ll always try to keep doing, so it’s a good way to start it with a way to get back to the foundation.”
Long Lake General Store is located at 4644 Long Lake Rd. Its opening ceremony will take place throughout June 26 and is open to the public. Full details about the store are available on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/longlakegeneralstore.
The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible by federal government funding.
mjensen@postmedia.com
Twitter: @mia_rjensen