302 Maffett St, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Original Grocery Tenant: Kunec's Market
Address: 302 Maffett St, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Opened: by 1946

Closed: by 2017

Later Tenants: vacant
Photographed: December 22, 2018

At the corner of Maffett and Hollenback Streets in northern Wilkes-Barre sits this 1800 square foot store. Unfortunately, Kunec's Market closed by 2017 after more than 70 years in business. The store was open by 1946.

I think by the end, Kunec's was mostly a deli and butcher shop, but it appears it was once more of a full grocery store. The store closed by 2017 but then in 2018 was condemned. Despite that, by 2022, it was still standing but further deteriorated. It's possible that the apparently hand-painted Kunec's Market signage was original to the store's opening, if likely restored later.

Like Harry's, I wish I could've gotten to this store when it was still open, but I'm glad I got there soon after it closed. All I can do is keep visiting grocery stores, especially interesting, old, and independent ones, and keep photographing them!

Sadly, despite the open flag, this store had not been open for at least around a year at the time of my visit. After the store closed, this notice was posted in the window...

And we unfortunately can't get a great look inside due to the lighting (and the fact that the sun was going down when I visited), but it looks like the butcher or deli counter was on the right side of the store with some grocery aisles in the middle and some tables in the front.

Tomorrow we're heading right across the Susquehanna River into the town of Luzerne for a look at their supermarket on The Market Report!