Fresh deli, penny candy, and regular customers. All are sights that can be associated with McDonnell’s Market Place, a small business in Kirkwood. After 71 years of business, Art McDonnell, owner and Kirkwood mayor, will close its doors this fall.The market is planned to close early this October.

“I would like to spend more time with my family, do some traveling, and spend more time with my job as mayor,” McDonnell said. “It was hard to do that while still running the store.”

For some students, McDonnell’s closing will have a change on childhood traditions.

“Whenever my family would have parties, McDonnell’s Market Place would always cater,” Madison Stream, sophomore, said. “I’m really sad that it’s closing. It was a huge part of our family traditions, and it’s going to be really weird having those traditions without it there.”

Kate Zisser, a McDonnell’s Market Place employee and a KHS alumna, believes the people will be what she misses the most.

“[The employees] are are like a family and I love them all. Also the customers,” Zisser said. “Working there for two years I’ve gotten to know all the regulars and it will be weird not seeing them anymore.”

McDonnell believes the closing will be bittersweet. Although he will have more time for other priorities, he is going to miss seeing his regular customers.

“It’s sad in some ways because you see a lot of people that come into your store for many years and you see many people being loyal shoppers. You may not see them on a regular basis anymore” McDonnell said.

Zisser, not only a two-year employee, was a frequent shopper growing up.

“My mom worked there when she was in high school and I’ve been going there ever since I was little to get the penny candy or the cookies, so with it closing it’s kind of like a piece of my childhood will be gone.”

The market place, not only a grocery store and deli, is home many of childhood memories for Kirkwood residents.

“It’s right by my house like I can just walk to it. I moved here four years ago and I’ve been going there since I moved there,” Rachel Blevins, senior, said. “I think its just going to be really sad because I literally drive by there everyday and it’s just like a familiarity. It’s part of the history of Kirkwood, and it’s just getting torn away.”