“It was just so sudden, and he ruined everybody’s lives; everybody that worked for me, all my customers,” Smith Jewelers owner Scott Stevens said. “The guy who did it doesn’t realize the damage he did to so many people. It’s just a mess.”
Stevens was able to get back most of the $100,000 worth of jewelry that was stolen, but his building still needs about $200,000 worth of upgrades to open again.
He’s decided to sell the rest of his inventory inside the Main Street Plaza in Bellefontaine through the holiday season and will retire Christmas Eve.
Joan Kelly, a customer for more than 60 years, called the business an asset to the city and said she is sad to see the store close for good.
“A lot of businesses in downtown Bellefontaine have closed, but Smith’s hung in there,” Kelly said.
Chuck Rader went to Smith Jewelers to get a gift for his fiance this week. He said he goes to the store for its personal touch.
Rader explained that the employees know him and his family and are able to help him out. He said he’s not looking forward to finding a new jewelry store.
“You go to a big box and can’t find anybody that will take care of you, know what you want and give you advice,” Rader said.
The business’ closure will leave three storefronts open in downtown Bellefontaine, according to Logan County Chamber of Commerce President Paul Benedetti.
He said he’s concerned about finding a way to get the building cleaned up and a new tenant in the space.
Benedetti feels downtown Bellefontaine is thriving, but added other smaller villages’ downtowns in the county are not doing as well.
“It’s a struggle,” Benedetti said. “The big box stores and the strip malls definitely pull away from the attraction of shopping downtown in the villages.”
Smith Jewelers has been selling jewelry in Bellefontaine for more than a century.
Stevens started working at the shop in 1951. His father purchased it from the Smith family in 1958 and decided to keep the name for its popularity.
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