One Beaches location of iconic Terry's Country Store closes, the other still open for now

Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union
·1 min read
Terry's Country Store on Penman Road in Jacksonville Beach has closed.
Terry's Country Store on Penman Road in Jacksonville Beach has closed.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH — The Penman Road location of Terry's Country Store, a longtime Beaches independent grocery known for its fresh meat and produce, is closed.

Handwritten signs in the windows advise, "Closed. Please visit the Mayport Road store." That Terry's Country Store location a few miles away remains open for now, though both are for sale, a worker said.

Store founder Richard "Terry" Smith died Jan. 20 at 79. He'd owned and operated Terry’s Country Store for 47 years and opened his first store on Mayport Road in 1975.

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A few weeks after his death, his family went on the store's Facebook page to note the support they had received.

In this 2007 photo, Terry Smith, who owned and operated two Terry's Country Stores at the Beaches, is seen at his Mayport Road location. He was being interviewed for a Times-Union story on businesses reacting to the decommissioning of the aircraft carrier the USS John F. Kennedy at the Naval Station Mayport. Smith, who had been in the grocery business for more than 30 years at that time, recalled that after the USS Forrestal and Saratoga left, "You could fire a cannon down Mayport Road and not hit anything."

"To our friends, family, neighbors and customers who knew our father, Terry Smith: My family and I would like to thank you for the cards, messages, support and kindness received after his passing. It has touched our hearts in so many ways!"

After another post mentioning a final sale going on, patrons wrote about what the store had meant for them over the years.

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"What a huge loss for our neighborhood. Thanks for feeding us and thanks for the beer!!!" wrote one.

"So sad to see an icon close," wrote another.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Beach Terry's Country Store closes, first location open