Preston Hardware
248 Preston Street
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
Preston Street Hardware has been a fixture in Little Italy since original owners Angelo Locatelli and William Germain opened the store in 1945. After a renovation in the early 1950s, it became Ottawa's first self-serve hardware store.
The current owners, Mario and Sam Giannetti and their brother-in-law Mario Frangione, purchased the store in 1973. Together, they have built it into Canada's largest independent hardware retailer.
Many of Ottawa's communities have seen smaller hardware, grocery and other specialty stores shut down as larger retailers took over their markets. For those who enjoy shopping in smaller, independent stores, Preston Street Hardware and other businesses like it are a welcome part of the community fabric.
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