Business is fickle, and several venerable shops saw their time in Happy Valley come to a close in 2019. Here are some of the businesses that said goodbye to Centre County this year.
Dam Donuts
Dam Donuts is a redolent reminder of the specialty doughnut trend that swept through Centre County several years ago.
The shop at 216 W. High St. in Bellefonte closed in February after three years in business due to “personal reasons,” owner Traci Beck said in a Facebook post.
The eatery was the first in a quartet of made-to-order doughnuts shops that opened between 2016 and 2018. Duck Donuts and Happy Buns remain open, while Peace, Love and Little Donuts closed in 2018.
Doughnuts are prepared April 25, 2017 at Dam Donuts in Bellefonte. The shop closed in February. Centre Daily Times, file
Mamma Mia’s
Mamma Mia’s swapped the shadow of Old Main for sunny Florida beaches. The pizzeria, 128 E. College Ave., closed in April after a 10-year run in downtown State College.
“We would like to thank the State College and Penn State community for being our friends and family for the past 10 years we will miss you dearly,” the owners said in April.
Mamma Mia’s Pizzeria, 128 E. College Ave., closed in April. Centre Daily Times, file
Giant
Giant supermarket in June traded its East College Avenue location for a spot at Hills Plaza. About 60 jobs were created because of the move, but it also left Walmart as the only supermarket on the east side of the immediate State College area.
It was the first time the plaza’s largest anchor space had a tenant since 2002, when Ames closed due to a corporation-wide bankruptcy. The East College Avenue location remains vacant.
Giant along East College Avenue closed in June. Centre Daily Times, file
Adventure Video
Adventure Video, Happy Valley’s final link to an era when movies and shows were exclusively hand-picked, closed in September.
Adventure Video in Philipsburg closed its doors in September 2019. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Parrish Apothecary Shop
Parrish Apothecary Shop was a longtime Centre County mainstay, with prescriptions that dated back to 1890.
That’s before Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii were ratified and when a stamp cost 2 cents.
The shop closed in October because of financial pressures, owner Jay Montgomery said. All customer records were transferred to the Bellefonte CVS.
The building, 114 N. Allegheny St., remains vacant.
Parrish Apothecary shop closed in October. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Nittany Mall closings
GameStop, Francesca’s, Matthew’s Hallmark Shop, Gymboree and Payless ShoeSource closed their Nittany Mall locations in 2019.
Francesca’s, Gymboree and Payless no longer have a location in Centre County, while GameStop and Hallmark each operate a store at the North Atherton Place plaza.
In place of traditional retailers, businesses including K n B’s Inflatables Please and Nittany Fencing Academy have become new additions to the mall.
The Nittany Mall in State College. Abby Drey adrey@centredaily.com
Other closures
Qdoba in downtown State College, Rainbow Music, Lion Antiques, Daily Dose Cafe in the Geisinger Gray’s Woods building, Jezebel’s Boutique, Imperial Motor Inn and Kiwi Frozen Yogurt also closed their doors in 2019.
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 6:49 AM.
Bret Pallotto primarily reports on courts and crime for the Centre Daily Times. He was raised in Mifflin County and graduated from Lock Haven University.
