Anania’s Variety at 323 Broadway in South Portland closed its doors Aug. 28. Krysteana Scribner / The Forecaster
SOUTH PORTLAND — After 15 years in the city, Anania’s Variety at 323 Broadway has closed its doors.
The announcement, first made on Instagram Aug. 28, said the decision to close was made by the most recent owner, whose name was not disclosed. It said the building will be listed as for lease or sale at some point in the near future.
“It was a very successful business for years, but over the last year and a half the new owner – I won’t disclose his name – was struggling,” owner Ed Anania said in an interview Sept. 4. “If I was younger, I’d go back in and reopen it, but I’m getting to the age I want to cut back.”
A sign on the door of Anania’s Variety announces the closing of the business. Krysteana Scribner / The Forecaster
The deli and convenience store specialized in hot and cold takeout and sold beer and wine, snacks, tobacco and lottery tickets. It also offered a catering menu and drop-off catering for events.
“We were happy to be doing business in Ferry Village. The community was great to us, and we tried to reciprocate that and be good to them too,” Anania said. “I hate to see the store close because I had such a nice run there.”
In June 2018, owners Ed and his wife Barbara sold the business, but still maintained ownership of the building. In the business agreement, the new owner kept the original store name, the menu and most of the employees.
The post states that the business decided to forego a public announcement of the ownership transition because little about the location had changed. A year later, however, the new business owner ultimately decided to close.
“We sold the business to a longtime manager, he tried to make a go of it and decided it wasn’t working for him,” Ed Anania said. “I had a manager I thought could step in, but he was probably getting burnt out.”
The city code enforcement office was unable to provide details regarding the ownership of the Broadway business.
The family business was started by Ed Anania’s father and mother in 1958. Two other locations at 606 Washington Ave. and 1227 Congress St. in Portland remain open.
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