Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

Turkey Hill shuts 2 stores
BY TIM MEKEEL, Business Editor

Two of the oldest -- and smallest -- Turkey Hill Minit Markets in Lancaster County closed Monday.

Shutting their doors for good were the chain's convenience stores at 2207 Marietta Ave., Rohrerstown, and 890 Lancaster Ave., Columbia.

The two stores were undersized at about 2,500 square feet, compared to the 4,000 square feet that the chain's new stores encompass.

They also were among the first Minit Markets here.

The Rohrerstown store opened on the former A&R Market site in 1969 and the Columbia store the year before.

Besides their small size, the two shuttered stores had other shortcomings in today's convenience-store world.

They lacked gas pumps -- a major drawing card -- and were without a corner location.

And because of other businesses being on both sides of the stores, neither could be expanded.

"We're constantly evaluating our business. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to close a store," said Erin Dimitriou Smith, spokeswoman for Turkey Hill.

Turkey Hill will offer the sites for sale.

Smith said the six employees of each store are transferring to other Minit Markets in the area.

"Nobody is losing their job," she said.

Lancaster-based Turkey Hill Minit Markets has about 60 stores in Lancaster County.

The original Minit Market opened in 1967 at 2136 Columbia Ave. A 2,400-square-foot store that was midblock and lacked fuel pumps, it closed about two years ago.

The shutdown came after Turkey Hill opened in the former Exxon station at Columbia Avenue and Rohrerstown Road.

tmekeel@lnpnews.com