End of an era: Hardware Hank to close its doors in December

“Is it true?” Customers have been asking Cory Kirsch, owner of Hardware Hank on Boulder’s Main Street, a business that’s been in his family since May of 1972, when his parents Dave and Rhonda opened the Boulder Gambles Store.

“Yes, it’s true,” Kirsch says. By Dec. 31, Hardware Hank will officially close its doors, ending a 51-year run of hardware retail by the Kirsch family.

This was no easy decision for Kirsch, but it was a practical one, he said, as it’s been increasingly challenging to make the business profitable. There have been many obstacles the last several years, particularly Amazon, and the convenience of ordering items online. And the recent development of a competing Ace Hardware store in town hasn’t made life any easier, nor has Boulder’s proximity to Helena and Butte.