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CLARKS SUMMIT — Everything Natural, 426 S. State St., is up for sale after 30 years of business in the borough, the store’s owners announced Tuesday.
PMJ, South Abington Township, is handling the sale, and although the market price is not publicly available, interested parties may contact the broker directly for information.
The health food and gift shop has been a vibrant hub of activity in the community since opening on June 10, 1985. And Barry Kaplan, co-owner along with his wife Donna Kaplan and sister-in-law Michele Cooper, said this is not about to change.
“It is so important to us that we find a buyer who will share the passion, the commitment, the values and the dedication to the mission and our customers, and then insure that the store will be an asset to the community for the next generation, the next 30 years,” Barry Kaplan said. “We still have energy and drive and we love coming to work every day and we love what we do. But, we also know that we aren’t going to be able to sustain that for 30 more years. So, rather than wait until we don’t enjoy it, rather than wait until it’s not fun or until we have to do something, we would much rather do it now, while we have the luxury and the joy to pass it along to someone who cares.”
Dispelling potential rumors before they begin, Kaplan said this does not mean that the business is in any kind of financial trouble or that his staff members are losing their jobs.
“We have a record year. We are at the top of our game. We want to go out on a good note,” he said.
“We were assured by the professionals that the most common concern from the buyer is that they want to make sure that all the staff stays. Because they want the continuity, they want the body of knowledge that we and our staff offer. When they buy, they’re not just buying bricks and mortar and inventory. They’re buying a lifestyle center that is integrated into the community.”
Kaplan’s involvement in the world of natural foods began about 45 years ago, when he owned the shop Armadillo Downe in Scranton. Many of his customers there often asked him when he was going to open a store in the Abingtons. This plea was raised so often, that when his landlord in Scranton expressed interest in using the space for himself, Kaplan readily agreed to move to Clarks Summit, although he was not being forced to leave.
Two weeks before he planned to open the Clarks Summit store, however, the would-be landlord at the new location backed out of the deal. Kaplan was, at the time, also running Bare Essentials, a natural foods bakery which dealt with wholesale buyers in New York City. So when the new shop didn’t work out, he decided to just stick with the bakery.
“Well, that only lasted a few years,” he said, laughing. “Michele and Donna came to me and said, ‘How about it? Do you want to do a store and do it as a family, and do it together?’ And so that was the birth of Everything Natural.”
The shop was first located at 412 S. State St. and expanded into 410 S. State St., occupying both lots. Then on Memorial Day weekend in 2003, it moved down the street to the current location.
“Everything Natural was our baby,” Kaplan said. “We started it on a shoestring. We started it with blood, sweat and tears and lack of sleep. And I mean that literally, from all the work we did — not from anxiety — it was 20-hour days.”
The trio continued to grow and nurture their “baby,” treating it responsibly, but not like a business.
“It was mission-driven, not business-driven,” he said.
Through the years, both the mission and the business grew in many ways. And with more space, more product availability and more educational opportunities becoming available, Kaplan says he believes the business will continue to become even better in the future under the right leadership. He added he plans to offer his assistance to the new owner or owners during the transition period and hopes the current customers will remain loyal once the business is sold.
Reach Elizabeth Baumeister at 570-704-3943 or on Twitter @AbingtonJournal.