Hathaway's ACE Hardware & Fresh Market

Hathaway's ACE Hardware & Fresh Market One stop grocery & hardware store, locally owned and operated.

09/08/2026

Two chainsaws, one showdown. Battery and gas go head-to-head.

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…Episode 12: Calling In… From JailOf all the excuses we’ve heard for missing a shift, this one r...
09/08/2026

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…
Episode 12: Calling In… From Jail

Of all the excuses we’ve heard for missing a shift, this one remains undefeated.

“I won’t be able to come to work today because I’m in jail.”

Fair enough.

That does make transportation difficult.

But here’s the part I will never forget:

They used their phone call from jail to CALL IN FOR THEIR SHIFT.

Not their mom.

Not a lawyer.

Not someone who might be able to, you know…

GET THEM OUT OF JAIL.

They called Hathaway’s.

And honestly?

I had to respect it.

Questionable decision-making skills.

Impeccable workplace communication.

We had plenty of notice to cover the shift.

Their family, however, may still have been wondering where the hell they were.

Meanwhile, at Hathaway’s…

Where apparently even incarceration is not an acceptable no-call, no-show.

We’re here til 7! Stop in and see us!
09/07/2026

We’re here til 7!
Stop in and see us!

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…Episode 11: The Hose StretcherTwo young men walked into the store one day on a mission.They nee...
09/06/2026

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…
Episode 11: The Hose Stretcher

Two young men walked into the store one day on a mission.

They needed a hose stretcher.

We told them we didn’t have one.

They were adamant that we did.

Apparently, someone had sent them in and specifically told them:

“They have them at Hathaway’s. If whoever is working says they don’t, they just don’t know where they are.”

And THAT is where I have to give credit where credit is due.

Because whoever set this up had thought ahead.

They had already discredited us before these guys even walked through the door.

Absolutely brilliant.

So they started looking.

And looking.

And LOOKING.

Every aisle.

Plumbing.
Lawn & garden.
Automotive.
Hardware.

Back through aisles they’d already checked.

They asked us again.

“Are you sure?”

Yes.

They called their mystery source.

Then continued searching.

This went on for OVER AN HOUR.

And every time they called the person who sent them, apparently they received just enough encouragement to keep the mission alive.

At some point, I wasn’t even annoyed anymore.

I was invested.

Meanwhile, somewhere on the other end of that phone was an absolute LEGEND having the time of their life.

I don’t know who you are.

But if you ever read this:

Please come introduce yourself.

Because convincing two grown men to spend over an hour scouring Hathaway’s for a nonexistent hose stretcher while simultaneously convincing them that WE were the ones who didn’t know what we were talking about…

That is a level of commitment to a joke that I deeply respect.

I want to meet you.

Also, gentlemen, if you’re reading this:

The hose stretchers finally came in.

They’re right next to the blinker fluid.

Another fun little game we play here at Hathaway’s is called: “Choices Were Made.”It usually starts when someone decides...
09/05/2026

Another fun little game we play here at Hathaway’s is called: “Choices Were Made.”

It usually starts when someone decides they no longer want an item.

Now, there are two options.

Option 1: Hand it to us at the register like a civilized human being.

Option 2: Hide it somewhere so completely unrelated that we question every decision that led to that exact moment.

A box of cereal in plumbing?
Sure.

A can of soup tucked in with the furnace filters?
Naturally.

Something refrigerated left on a random shelf because apparently food safety was also a choice that was made?
Fantastic.

Some abandoned items make enough sense that we can at least follow the thought process.

Others leave us standing there, holding the evidence, staring into the distance while our brains quietly reboot.

So please—if you change your mind, just hand it to us.

No judgment. No lecture. No public shaming.

We would genuinely LOVE to put it back where it belongs.

Mostly because we already have enough mysteries around here without trying to figure out why someone decided the toilet seat aisle was the final resting place for a jar of mayonnaise.

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…Episode 10: The Return LadyEvery retail store has recurring characters.Ours had The Return Lady...
09/04/2026

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…
Episode 10: The Return Lady

Every retail store has recurring characters.

Ours had The Return Lady.

An older woman who came in regularly—and by regularly, I mean we could pretty much count on her returning something at least once a week.

Usually something partially used.

She was also just an absolute ray of sunshine.

Nearly every visit included some completely unsolicited insult.

“Are you stupid?”

Or whatever other little verbal hug she had prepared for me that day.

No reason.

No argument beforehand.

Sometimes you’re just standing there existing and apparently your face inspires feedback.

But one of my favorite returns was the day she brought back partially used cans of wasp spray.

Her reason?

“I didn’t notice they had been used before I bought them.”

…

Ma’am.

Let me make sure I understand the allegation.

You purchased cans of wasp spray from us.

Took them home.

Then returned them partially empty…

because you believe WE sold them to YOU that way?

Apparently somewhere between the store and her house, several ounces of wasp spray simply vanished.

Perhaps the wasps took it.

We may never know.

What I do know is that this will not be the last time you hear about The Return Lady.

Because she had a lot of returns.

And apparently…

I was stupid for most of them.

09/04/2026

See what you get free with a $40 purchase! Don't delay; this sale ends on September 7th!

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…Episode 9: The Waterproof PaintEvery hardware store has that one customer who believes the retu...
09/02/2026

MEANWHILE, AT HATHAWAY’S…
Episode 9: The Waterproof Paint

Every hardware store has that one customer who believes the return policy is more of a long-term rental agreement.

This particular older woman was notorious for returning things.

Not unopened things.

Partially used things.

One day, she came back carrying a can of paint she had already used.

Her reason for returning it?

“It didn’t stop the leak in my basement.”

Ma’am.

Paint.

You bought paint.

Not hydraulic cement.
Not waterproofing compound.
Not crack filler.

PAINT.

Apparently she had a leak in her basement and decided the best course of action was to paint over it.

Water continued to come in.

Which, naturally, meant there must be something wrong with the paint.

I sometimes wonder if she tried a second coat before bringing it back.

Because somewhere on that basement wall is probably a beautifully painted leak that is still doing exactly what leaks do.

Anyway.

At Hathaway’s, we sell products for just about every home repair.

The trick is buying the one that actually repairs it.

Address

316 Market Street
Galva, IL
61434

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

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