Smithland Pet & Garden Center to reopen Northampton store before year's end
The chain will occupy its former Big Y Plaza storefront after a Westfield restaurateur purchased the business name and brand.
NORTHAMPTON — Smithland Pet & Garden Center plans to reopen in its former location at the Big Y Plaza on North King Street by the end of this year, more than a year after the chain closed all 13 of its Massachusetts and Connecticut stores in 2025.
Nabil Hannoush, a Westfield restaurateur who owns the Shortstop Bar & Grill, purchased the Smithland name and brand after the closure. He and his wife, Julie, reopened the Westfield location last summer and have since fielded requests from customers in other communities where Smithland operated. The couple now plan to restore locations in Northampton and Ludlow.
Former Smithland CEO John Atkins attributed the 2025 closure to inflation and "difficult economic and competitive conditions." Hannoush said he and his wife were longtime customers and animal lovers who were disappointed by the store's shutdown. "We were huge fans and we were customers of the store in Westfield, and we were saddened when we went in and found out that they were closing the store," Hannoush said.
The chain received emails from customers asking for reopenings, with some sharing personal connections to the stores. "This person would take their grandmother into the store once a week and buy her something," Hannoush recounted, describing some messages as "heartbreaking." The Northampton and Hadley locations were originally part of Dave's Soda & Pet City, which operated under that name for more than 30 years before Smithland acquired it in 2019.
Hannoush said he was able to [rehire all 14] of the Westfield location's remaining staff members. He credited the employees' loyalty to customers and the business, saying "not one person out of 14 staff members left, they all stayed." He attributed this commitment to their dedication to the store and its customers' pets.
The Northampton location at the Big Y Plaza has [remained vacant] since the original closure. Hannoush said he was able to [lease the space back] from Big Y. Despite concerns about retail struggling against online shopping, Hannoush expressed confidence that brick-and-mortar pet and garden stores will attract customers seeking in-person service. "I really do feel people want to start shopping and going back into the stores," he said.