By Jack DeGange
Ed Kerrigan doesn’t use the office tucked in a back corner of Jake’s Market to conduct business.

Kerrigan owns Jake’s. He prefers to be near his customers, a cup of coffee in hand, leaning on stacks of soda cartons, flanked by an ice cream cooler and shelves laden with the variety of everyday stuff—from dry gas, charcoal and windshield washer fluid to potato chips and peanut butter—that define convenience shopping. Plus, he enjoys watching the steady flow of traffic on Mechanic Street between downtown Lebanon and the Miracle Mile.

It’s not that he doesn’t use the small office occasionally. But, if there’s a sudden backup at the cash registers, he can easily break away from conversation to help keep customers moving.

Kerrigan started out as a hands-on owner. He opened Jake’s doors in Lebanon early one morning in 1997 and understands the meaning of “convenience.” Over time he’s developed an outstanding staff that he describes as “the people who create the friendly atmosphere that our customers appreciate.”

The Lebanon location was the first Jake’s that Kerrigan established after he decided to strike out on his own after more than 20 years in the fuel business, first with Mobil Oil and then with Johnson & Dix.

Three locations have followed: on Route 103 in Newbury at the south end of Lake Sunapee; on Route 4 in Andover (across from Proctor Academy), and most recently on the Newport Road on the north side of New London (it opened in October 2003).

Except for the Andover location, which was a fairly easy renovation of an existing building (he used a local contractor), Kerrigan has turned to Trumbull-Nelson for the construction management expertise to build the stores in Lebanon, Newbury and New London.

Over time Ed has developed an outstanding staff that he describes as “the people who create the friendly atmosphere that our customers appreciate.”

“Newbury was a major rebuild project and New London involved razing a gas station—but keeping a car wash,” said Kerrigan. “Every location is different. A big operation like Mobil may have a few standard designs for convenience locations. The shape of the property dictates the dimensions of our stores. You have to fit the store in with the gas pumps, keeping an eye to the setback requirements and providing ample parking while creating as much product space as possible in the stores.”

“I’ve known (T-N president) Larry Ufford for a long time,” said Kerrigan. “I’ve always valued Trumbull’s reputation and high quality, and their flexibility to keep projects moving.” Looking toward the long counter that defines the busy transaction area, he was quick to praise the quality of T-N’s millwork and craftsmanship.

While Kerrigan admits he eventually seeks out architectural assistance, each Jake’s building has been launched with a rough sketch that suggests his vision for the location. “I was brand new at this business,” he said. “I figured things out as I went along.”

“In New London we designed the building with angles to fit the location at the corner of Newport and County roads,” said Kerrigan. “Think of it as shaped like home plate on a baseball diamond.”

Kerrigan bought the Lebanon property as an investment several years before he decided to enter the convenience store business. It’s a narrow strip that drops off to the Mascoma River and has an interesting history. From 1919 until 1948 when they moved about a mile west to the Miracle Mile, it was the home of Flanders & Patch, the Ford dealership since 1923 that F&P owner Tom Thayer reveals was opened as the area’s first Dodge dealership. For nearly 50 years, until Kerrigan bought it, it was a shop that offered all sorts of service, from bike and television repairs to selling satellite dishes and cemetery monuments. That building disappeared when Kerrigan created Jake’s.

What Kerrigan discovered as he explored the convenience store business is that Mechanic Street—U.S. Route 4—is the area’s third most-traveled road.

“People thought I was nuts when I said I was planning this store,” he said. “We—me, my daughter, Kate, and one of her friends—did our own traffic study and counted 15,000 cars per day were passing this location. Only Route 12A in West Lebanon and Route 120 between Lebanon and Hanover were busier. This road was, and probably still is, busier than I-89.”

The other sites in New London, Andover and Newbury each came with unique characteristics. “In New London we designed the building with angles to fit the location at the corner of Newport and County roads,” said Kerrigan. “Think of it as shaped like home plate on a baseball diamond.”

The Lebanon location is the largest of the Jake’s operations and includes a separate, contemporary building (also built by Trumbull-Nelson) that Kerrigan launched as a farm stand—until one summer morning when both he and his son, Jamie, had a fierce allergic reaction while picking strawberries. That’s when he decided to find another use for the site. It’s now Bloemenwinkel, a shop that features flowers and crafts.

Now, after six years of operation, the Lebanon building is being enlarged, again by T-N. “We want to expand our sandwich and grill menu,” said Kerrigan. “Eventually, we may even have an ice cream stand.”
Incidentally, who’s Jake, you ask? Actually, there is no “Jake.”

“I wanted to call the store something like “Fast Eddie’s Gas, Beer and Baloney,” said Kerrigan, “but my wife, Mary Lynn, didn’t think much of that idea. She created “Jake” from the initials of our son and daughter’s names—James Edward and Katherine Ann.”

While Ed Kerrigan is “hands-on” around Jake’s, he’s wisely “hands-off” when it comes to corporate identity.