7-Eleven at Thirty Pines to close

Mary Prescott has lived in Penacook since, “oh, forever.” Most days, she’ll pop into the 7-Eleven on Fisherville Road and grab a newspaper, maybe a sandwich.

Soon, her routine will have to come to an end: The store will close on May 20.

“I’m so sorry that they decided this store,” she said, with a copy of Tuesday’s paper tucked between her fingers. “I mean, who knows with corporate.”

The store and adjoining plaza have a new owner, but the sale isn’t related to the closure.

The international convenience store chain revealed in a recent earnings report that it plans to close 645 locations across North America over the course of the next year. The store at Thirty Pines is among them. The announcement comes amid a pivot for the company, which is consolidating to become a more hot-food-centered enterprise, like competitor chains Bucc-ees and Wawa.

Signs outside the store Tuesday morning advertised 50% off most items. The markdown read “75% off” as of mid-afternoon.

Thirty Pines itself is a Penacook icon. The store has housed a 7-Eleven for several years, and before that a Tedeschi.

Dick Anagnost, a Manchester-based developer, bought both the convenience store and the adjacent Thirty Pines plaza this month.

Not only are the closure and the sale separate but, according to Anagnost, 7-Eleven hadn’t yet given formal notice to its new landlord of a closure. The company, he said, has a lease through 2033.

Broadly, Anagnost said he has no plans for changes at Thirty Pines Plaza outside of some maintenance, cosmetics and landscaping. He said the $2.9 million purchase was an investment.

“It’s going to remain with the existing tenants,” he said. “Although we’re known for development, we have a lot in our portfolio.”

A manager at the store deferred all media inquiries to 7-Eleven’s corporate media line, which did not respond to a request for comment.

While the store isn’t a key food stop for Prescott, 71, she knows it is for many in the area. With hundreds of new housing units under construction just down the road, it’s well positioned for foot traffic into the future.

“It’s nice little store,” she said. “The people who work here are so nice.”

Tuesday afternoon, shoppers lined up at the register with pudding, chips and other snacks in hand. A clerk behind the counter helped a regular settle which type of cigarettes she would like, since her usual was sold out and wouldn’t be restocked.

“What we have is what we have,” read a sign on the counter.

Another, in the entryway, was more expressive.

“It has been an honor to serve this community. To be a part of your daily routines, conversations, and lives,” it said. “Thank you for being more than just customers.”