NORTHAMPTON — More than a year after Smithland Pet & Garden Center closed all 13 of its Massachusetts and Connecticut locations, including its Northampton and Hadley stores, the pet and garden chain is expected to return to Northampton — in its former space at the Big Y Plaza on North King Street — by the end of the year.
Westfield restaurateur Nabil Hannoush, owner of the Shortstop Bar & Grill, who described himself and his wife, Julie, as being animal and nature lovers, said he was disappointed to hear of the pet and garden stores’ closure for liquidation last year, and that’s when he and his wife decided to buy the business.
After purchasing the name and brand of the Westfield location and reopening in the Whip City last summer, Hannoush said he and his wife received numerous requests from the community to bring back the Northampton and Ludlow stores. They are now in the process of doing that in those two communities.
“We were huge fans and we were customers of the store in Westfield, and we were saddened when we went in and found out that they were closing the store … We love animals, and we’re nature lovers, so the store was perfect for us,” Nabil Hannoush said. “We received so many emails from customers, [saying] ‘Please open up in Northampton, please open up Hadley, please open up Ludlow,’ and some of the stories were heartbreaking … this person would take their grandmother into the store once a week and buy her something.”
Former Smithland CEO John Atkins cited inflation over the last several years and “difficult economic and competitive conditions” as the reasons behind the store’s closure in 2025.
The Northampton and Hadley stores, along with four others, were originally known as Dave’s Soda & Pet City. The store’s original owner, Dave Ratner, transferred ownership to Smithland in 2019 after more than 30 years at the helm. Ratner, a member of the National Retail Federation, was known for making several appearances before Congress and the White House.
“This decision did not come easily,” Atkins wrote in the email during last year’s liquidation. “The trust and loyalty you’ve shown us over the years have meant more than words can express.”
That customer and staff loyalty, Hannoush said, is partly what makes the garden and pet center so special to him and his wife. He said he was able to rehire all 14 of the Westfield location’s remaining staff members.
“We just loved the staff. I’ve never seen a store with such amazing staff members, and they were all just loyal to their customers and they were loyal to the store; not one person out of 14 staff members left, they all stayed,” Hannoush said. “It’s a testament to their love of the store, of their customers, of their pets and their devotion to dealing with everyone’s fur babies.”
Since the pet store’s former location at the Big Y Plaza has remained vacant, Hannoush said he was able to lease the space back from Big Y.
Although many believe retail stores are suffering with the popularity of online shopping, Hannoush said he believes retail shopping at brick-and-mortar stores will make a comeback as shoppers increasingly appreciate in-person shopping.
“We saw such passion for the store, for the people and I was seeing a trend … Everybody talks about how retail is struggling and all that, but I think there’s going to be a trend of people going back to brick-and-mortar,” Hannoush said. “I really do feel people want to start shopping and going back into the stores.”
