Saying Goodbye to Spag's; What Do You Remember?

SHREWSBURY, MA -- It’s been planned for a while, but locals are feeling the reality of the end of an era, as the building that housed the discount store Spag’s is being demolished this week.

The wrecking ball started swinging at the building, located on Route 9 in Shrewsbury, on Monday, making way for Grossman Development Group to move forth with its plan, reported the Boston Globe.

Grossman plans a 375,000 square-foot mixed use building that includes Whole Foods.

Kids of the ‘80s remember hopping in the station wagon with their parents (or in my case, grandmother), to browse through the Spag’s aisle of boxes and goods with seemingly no sense of organization of safety concerns. Shampoo stacked high next to a display of plastic pools, which led to the section that housed all the heavy boots, jackets and tools. Food, bird seed, toys. It was all there, and all at a discount. No bags provided, no credit cards accepted. You bagged your own goods, the conveyor belts were short, and there were funky items at the register.

True discount, and Spag’s had those free tomato plants, and the furniture store and sports store in the back. It was an amusement park of discount.

Anthony “Spag” Borgatti opened the store in the 1930s. After he died in 1996, his family ran the business, which eventually gave way to Building 19 in 2002. That closed in 2013.

The new site will be known as Lakeway Commons, which plans to break ground in the spring.

What do you remember about Spag’s? Share your memories in the comments section below.