The new store Local Noon has filled the retail vacuum left at 92 Washington St. After FATFACE closed its doors, Amy Connolly, who lives in town, saw the opportunity to open her dream beach store. She calls Local Noon a “vacation nostalgia”-inspired shop tailored toward all ages, that also features arcade games, beverages and frozen treats.
Connolly, who has a background in marketing, said Marblehead was in need of not only a beach store but a place where people feel welcome to hang out. Local Noon opened on May 7. Mother’s Day, a few days later, brought in a big crowd.
“We had groups of families … the younger kids love the arcade,” she said. “The teen girls are loving the bikinis. The boys are coming in for the hats. There’s good mom suits.”
When the space on Washington Street opened up, Connolly felt it was the perfect opportunity to open the beach store.
“I’ve been thinking about a beach shop for years, and also an arcade. I’ve had different iterations of it in my head. I also wanted a place where kids could hang out a little bit. My kids have always been pumping money into arcade machines.”
Connolly plans to be a part of the art scene in Marblehead. The store has a worktable for customers and employees to enjoy arts and crafts. She and her employees have created designs, artworks and signs to hang around the store. Connolly also hopes to use her store to facilitate entries into the Marblehead Arts Festival this summer.
When asked how she came up with the idea for Local Noon, she described fond memories of her childhood.
“We would go to (surf shop) Cinnamon Rainbow in Hampton,” she said. “I was always seeking out the surf shop even though I didn’t surf, I just loved the feel.”
John Bender is a Marblehead High School senior project intern with the Marblehead Current.
