Grocery Store In Worcester's Canal District To Close Permanently

WORCESTER, MA — Nearly a year after leaving its downtown Worcester digs for the Canal District, farm-to-table grocer Maker to Main is closing its doors.

Owner Lynn Cheney posted about the closure on Facebook on Friday.

"After 12 years of grassroots efforts hauling local food, numerous awards, endless business pivots and millions of dollars to local farmers, brewers + makers I can no longer afford to continue," she wrote.

The store is offering 25% off to liquidate the remaining inventory. It will be open Friday and Saturday until "our final goodbye" at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Maker to Main specializes in food, produce, drinks and home goods sourced from within a few hundred miles of Worcester.

“'Hard to be the pioneer' was something I heard often," Cheney wrote. "Although, discouraged by that sentiment, I was determined to prove it can be done. Yet, in the past few days I realized you can pivot, fix problems, follow economic trends and implement new tactics to fulfill demand, but in the end still fail because not everything is within your control. Failure is a funny thing. It’s not until you completely lose everything and hit rock bottom do you realize there’s all that’s left is to climb again. For now I’ll reflect on 12 years as an entrepreneur and allow myself to feel the sadness of this monumental loss, but then I will climb again."

The store originally opened in downtown Worcester four years ago. The owners announced they would be moving to a Harding Street location in February of last year.

The move was intended to provide shoppers with "the more robust grocery store many of you have been asking for," including a full-service deli counter, prepared foods, and parking.

See related: Maker To Main Leaving Downtown Worcester For Canal District