Sheehan’s to close after 37 years in California
CALIFORNIA – After 37 years of operating, Sheehan’s Foods in California Borough, John and Jane Sheehan are retiring, with plans to spend a little more time with their grandchildren in the state of California. In 1973, John Sheehan, who is now 66, bought the Wood Street store, which had been the California Ranch Market.
“We were in Ohio for five years, but he always wanted to come back and open a grocery store,” Jane Sheehan said of her husband.
John Sheehan had grown up in the grocery business, following in the footsteps of his father, Joseph Sheehan, who opened a store in Brownsville around 1960.
The son of an Irish immigrant, John Sheehan was proud of his family’s heritage.
“He’d dress head to toe in green on St. Patrick’s Day and hand out green donuts or cupcakes. He definitely was a community citizen. He got people through when they didn’t have anything,” Jane Sheehan said of her late father-in-law.
Five of John Sheehan’s six sons followed in his footsteps as grocers, operating four independent stores in Brownsville, California, Fairchance and Smithfield. Two of the brothers, Tim and Harry Sheehan, took over the Brownsville store when their father retired and their youngest brother, Dan, bought it from them. It closed several years ago and remains vacant at this time.
John Sheehan’s brother Sam Sheehan, recently sold his store in Smithfield, but it will continue to operate as a grocery store, Jane Sheehan said.
The fate of the California store is still up in the air. Jane Sheehan said there is a tentative buyer for the property, but not for the grocery business. The store is currently selling off the stock on its shelves at 30 percent off in anticipation of closing later this summer.
“Nothing’s in stone yet,” Jane Sheehan said.
“As far as what it’s going to turn into, that hasn’t been determined yet.”
Jane Sheehan said the decision to retire and close the store had been bittersweet, being particularly hard to say goodbye to longtime employees and customers.
“You didn’t have to hear a weather forecast, you could tell what it was going to do by the number of customers that came into the store,” Jane Sheehan said.
She said that for business and personal reasons, retiring is the right thing to do at this time.
“Oh absolutely, it’s time to retire. Everybody’s selling groceries now. Independents can’t compete. It’s the story of small towns,” Jane Sheehan said. “There were at least two other grocery stores in town through the years. We just happen to be the last one.”
The memories of doing business in California Borough will remain with the Sheehan family.
“Our daughter dug out an old sign that was up in the attic of the store. It was broken and she had it fixed and repainted it and gave it to John for Father’s Day. We need to find a place to put it,” Jane Sheehan said.
Jane Sheehan said she also needs to find another place to grocery shop, something she hasn’t had to do for 37 years.