Outdoor furniture, pool store opens at former Stewart's on Washington Street
May 5—WATERTOWN — A one-stop shop selling outdoor furniture and pool related items is opening up in the old Stewart's Shops convenience store on Washington Street.
The owners of two longtime Watertown businesses, Massey Furniture Barn and North Country Hearth and Home, are combining efforts to open the business in the former Stewart's Shops.
Furniture store owner Shawn Massey says you can buy everything you need in the shop to enjoy the outdoors at your home.
He doesn't have enough room to display and sell outdoor furniture and patio furniture supplies in his Arsenal Street showroom and Shane and Wendy Dudo always wanted to open a second location on the south side of the city of their business on state Route 37.
They approached Mr. Massey with the idea after the Stewart's Shop became available in November after the Ballston Spa chain closed the location and opened a new convenience store down the street on Washington Street.
"It all kind of came together," Mr. Massey said. "It's kind of unique."
Alongside outdoor patio furniture are pool cleaning equipment and pool side inventory. Two hot tubs are set up inside the 2,019-square-foot storefront, along with pool supplies displayed on a wall.
"There's plenty of room," said Wendy S. Dudo, whose husband bought the business from his father last year.
Even pools will be sold out of the store, although none will be actually displayed there and customers will get to see samples of their products.
The Dudos have big expansion plans for new stores for North Country Hearth and Home.
"This is going to be the first of many," she said.
The business owners are longtime family friends, who figured that the new venture would help both businesses. They'll put up signs from both businesses on the front of the building.
"It's the right location," Mr. Massey said.
They plan to open today. The hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
A couple of employees will work for the Massey portion of the storefront, while Mrs. Dudo and four employees will cover the pool business section.
The new business also fills up a vacant storefront along busy Washington Street.
The business owners know their landlord, Aaron Netto, a contractor in town who owns the building. He purchased the property in January for $158,500.
