The Good Folks at Lyons
Hey Eastsiders – I’ve got a proposal for you. Next time you need to make a run to the hardware store, please consider going to Lyons in Brighton Park. Try to not consider the long drive across town to megastores like Lowes and Home Depot. Here’s why:
I decided to stop by Lyons tonight to buy a snow shovel for an apartment-dwelling friend that is snow shovel-less. Her landlord doesn’t come around to shovel snow and ice. The business hours showed they didn’t close until 8, but with the inclimate weather, they decided to close up shop a little early. I didn’t discover this until a tug on the door was unsuccessful, due to the door being locked. As I walked away, an older man (maybe the owner?) came walking to the front, unlocked the door, and let me in. He was happy to assist me in my snow shovel buying experience, even though he’d already closed for the night.
You have to appreciate small businesses. As an employee of one, I can say we’d do the same as this gentleman tonight. In fact, we often don’t lock our doors once business hours pass. We’re there for a while after closing time, so we figure we might as well leave the doors open in case someone shows up to give us some business. I can’t say the megastores would do the same.
