YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Friday is the final day for Mahoning Snacks, a tiny downtown shop that has long been part of the daily routine for many workers and residents.

Jack Colucci, who has owned and operated the shop for 18 years, announced the closing earlier this week.

From his position behind the counter, he tended to a nearly nonstop flow of customers in the cozy and well-worn store. Coffee, cold drinks, snacks, tobacco products, lottery tickets, some drugstore goods, fresh fruit and a few other items were sold every day to the store’s many regular customers.

At one point several years ago, Mahoning Snacks also sold pizza and sandwiches for lunch.

Mahoning Snacks had the atmosphere of a neighborhood barber shop, as familiar faces stopped to chat and buy what they needed to get their day started.

Customers said their goodbyes to Colucci on Friday, with many lamenting the loss of the store.

“It’s a great place for senior citizens to grab a little coffee – cheap – and stand around and talk to the nice proprietor,” said Roy Phifer Jr. of Youngstown, who stopped at the shop every day. “[Colucci] is as friendly as I don’t know what. I enjoy coming here, and I’m going to miss this place.”

Colucci said he is not retiring but has no immediate plans as to what he is going to do next.

He kept the tiny oasis going through several years of economic downturn that began with the Covid pandemic – which reduced the number of people working downtown.

Other setbacks to downtown in the past few years include street construction projects that led to temporary closures of almost every block at one time or another, and the explosion at Realty Tower.

The shop is at 24 Market St., on the ground floor of the Huntington Bank building. The 13-story tower was sold a couple years ago and is mostly unoccupied now, as the new owner is converting most of the floors to apartments.

While Mahoning Snacks will be closed after Friday, a new option will open next week.

People looking for coffee, drinks and snacks can stop at Geo’s Records, 228 W. Boardman St., which will devote a portion of its retail space to selling the items. Geo’s is just two blocks from Mahoning Snacks. The shop at Geo’s will not sell lottery tickets or tobacco products.

Lottery tickets are still available at The Downtown Circle convenience store and deli, 116 W. Federal St.

Pictured at top: Jack Colucci stands in front of Mahoning Snacks, the shop he ran in downtown Youngstown for 18 years.