Beloved hardware store gem to close after 80 years in NJ

There’s a certain kind of New Jersey business that feels like it ought to be indestructible. Like, if it could be around so long that it survived disco, VHS, and dial-up internet, then it should last forever. Unfortunately, another one of those just tapped out.

Benjamin Brothers

After more than 80 years, a hardware store in Tenafly will close its doors for good at the end of the month. Benjamin Brothers hardware, under the True Value flag, has served the community since the 1940s.

According to a post on the store's Facebook page, the last day of operation is on Jan. 31.

It was the kind of store that maybe helped your grandparents fix something they swore they could do themselves. And there was no YouTube tutorial on how to do it; just the patient advice of a store clerk, freely given.

This wasn’t one of those massive chain stores where you wander aimlessly for 45 minutes only to leave angry and empty-handed. This was the sort of family place where you walked in, described the problem in vague, layman's terms, and the person behind the counter immediately knew exactly what you needed. Sometimes, before you even finish your sentence.

According to the owners, the decision was far from an easy one. They thanked the generations of customers who didn’t just shop there — they relied on it. And you can feel that. Because this wasn’t just a hardware store. It was part of the town’s muscle memory.

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Need one screw? They had it. Need advice? They gave it.

A lot of Jersey towns once had a smaller hardware shop like this. Where you’d tag along with dad when you were a boy, maybe run your fingers through the bins of different nails or bolts while half-listening to dad’s ’guy talk’ with a clerk. But most didn’t last 80 years.

And yes, we all understand times change. Big box stores, online shopping, and same-day delivery. But none of those places tell you why the thing broke in the first place or quietly explain how to fix it without making you feel like an idiot.

So pour one out for our fallen homie, Benjamin Brothers. Another small New Jersey institution gone — and another reminder that the places we assume will always be there certainly won’t.