Tornado part of a one-two punch for retailer
The footwear retailer was one of the businesses in the
"It's been a difficult second quarter," Beccaris said. "It has certainly been unusual and a bit difficult for us to do normal activities and pay attention to day-to-day business."
The tornado struck SneakerKing less than a year after it moved into another location in the strip mall by
SneakerKing formerly was located in another part of the
After the
In April, the Plains Twp. location temporarily closed and reopened after an SUV crashed through the front of the store and part of the showroom and out through a side wall.
Police said the driver was having a medical issue when he slammed into the store.
The driver's insurance policy will cover the damage, Beccaris said. He said fortunately, no one was hurt at the Plains Twp. or
"We are certainly thankful no one was injured," he said. "If that tornado came through at 8 instead of 10, it would have been a catastrophic situation."
Beccaris visited the SneakerKing location in
"There was no resemblance to an athletic footwear store. It was totally unrecognizable," Beccaris said. "I'm inclined to say there's nothing salvageable in there. Since the building is condemned, I'm not sure whether or not one could gain access to see if anything is salvageable."
The manager who worked in the store was transferred to another location. There were no open opportunities available for another full-time employee and four part-time employees were worked at the store and Beccaris said he is recommending they seek unemployment insurance or other opportunities.
"It's a sad situation," Beccaris said. "With the exception of one individual, all of them were working there from the time we moved there in August last year. I feel badly about not being able to accommodate them."
SneakerKing, one of the largest independent full service footwear retailers in eastern
Beccaris plans to return to the
He is not sure when SneakerKing and all the other businesses in the strip mall will be demolished.
Efforts to reach an official from
Employees at the
Since
"I'm still weighing options," he said. "I would like to have a presence in that area. If we can find a suitable location, we will definitely be there."
Contact the writer:
570-821-2115, @CVAllabaugh
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