Farewell to a ‘watering hole': Tom Thumb to close after 35 years

After 35 years in business, the Destin Tom Thumb store at Kelly and Main streets will close Thursday.

“It’s been there since I was a kid — I used to go there all the time,” City Councilor Dewey Destin told The Log. “I just regret that it’s leaving: It’s like the old Green Knight, another fixture gone.”

Like other fixtures, the store has generated a few stories: Former Councilor Cyron Marler said that in a kidnapping case some years ago, the ransom drop had been near the store.

“Some guy decided to rob the place at the same time, not knowing cops were all over the area,” Marler said. More generally, he added, “it’s just been a watering hole for everyone in that neighborhood.”

On a typical recent afternoon, “everyone” included a couple of teenage girls, one or two postal employees and a steady stream of guys in shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts — and a few guys who dispensed with the shirts.

For their shopping pleasure, the convenience store offered Coca-Cola, milk, wine, cans of tomato soup, hairbrushes, dog food, Zantac, playing cards, flashlights and corn dogs. Unusual for a convenience store, it didn’t sell gasoline.

“The people are pretty friendly,” said Adam McConnell, a clerk at the store. “The locals are pretty upset about its closing.”

Rumors have been circulating about Legendary having designs on the land, or someone planning to build a small mall there, but Tom Thumb’s

Dave Digle said the reason is simple: The Mattie Kelly Trust owns the land and has chosen not to renew the lease.

Marler said the Tom Thumb had been grandfathered in under Destin’s zoning code, so if the store closes, the site would eventually revert to the area’s regular residential zoning.

“If it doesn’t stay as a convenience store, it can’t be anything else (commercial),” Marler said.

Digle said he didn’t know what the trust’s plans were for the site. Trust spokeswoman Imogene Kelly said announcements about the future would have to wait until “a little bit later.”