Centre County furniture store set to close after nearly 50 years in business

After nearly 50 years in business, Stover’s Furniture in the Nittany Mall will close its doors this fall.

Although owner Jake Stover has the lease until November, he plans to officially close the store within the next two months. The store’s first closing sale will take place from Aug. 10-28.

In 1975, Stover started it as an electronics store while working as a production supervisor for Penn State’s WPSX-TV.

“It started as a hobby of going to auctions buying stuff and then people would say, ‘Can you give me this? Can you give me that?’ and it just blossomed,” Stover said.

Stover’s Furniture started out in Miles Township selling electronics and later new and used furniture. When the store moved to Benner Pike in 1992 it began only selling new furniture and relocated once again to the Nittany Mall in 2015.

The store started as a passion project for Stover and now he’s preparing for his next steps. But the 76-year-old isn’t entering the quiet, calm retirement life yet. He’s got big plans for the future.

“I’m going to try and become a professional gambler,” Stover said.

Stover plays Texas Hold ‘Em poker every week and goes to tournaments when he can, raking in winnings up to $3,000. He’s starting his work as a professional poker player immediately with a planned trip to a casino in New York following the store’s sale.

Supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic have made furniture shipments increasingly difficult, but also bolstered his profits as ordering furniture online became harder for clients. Stover said June and July were his most productive months ever, but it still seems like the right time to go.

Stover expressed his thanks to his loyal customer base, many of whom, he said, have come patronized the store for years.

“I’m going to miss the people,” Stover said. “I’m going to miss my employees. It’s a family business where my granddaughter worked for me for, I don’t know, maybe 10 years now.”

This story was originally published August 4, 2022 at 4:09 PM.