Written by Jack Ries
Spring has sprung and there’s a sense of renewal and
new life in the air. The birds are singing, the flowers are
blooming, and newborn animals are taking their first, timid
steps out into the great big world. There’s more than just
new life springing up in the borough, though. We have a
number of businesses that have decided to make their new
homes in Marietta, as well. Three of those new businesses
are on West Market Street, within a stone’s throw of each
other, so I decided to take a walk down the street and see
these new shops for myself.
Lucky Smoke
30 West Market Street
Proprietor: Urvish Patel
luckysmoke30@gmail.com (717) 604-1130
Lucky Smoke is a tobacco and lottery shop. They feature a
good selection of premium handmade cigars, machine made
cigars, roll-your-own cigarette supplies, pipes, cigarettes,
chewing tobacco, and smoking accessories. Urvish has
plans on continuing to expand the shop’s selection as
demand grows, including adding a walk-in cigar humidor,
should the demand for one arise, and he can special order
just about any tobacco product or accessory if he isn’t
currently stocking what you’re looking for. This store is also
a Pennsylvania Lottery location, and features stay-and-play
games such as Pennsylvania Games of Skill, and Keno. The
shop also features the new Xpress Car Racing and Xpress
Football games, which the PA Lottery will be starting this
summer. If you have any questions about product ordering
or the stay-and-play games, Urvish will be more than happy
to answer them.
Riverside Barber Shop & Shave Parlor
36 West Market Street
Proprietor: Travis Knaub
riversidebarbershopsp@gmail.com (717) 604-1502
Riverside Barber Shop is currently open, and offering
haircuts, shaves, and hair and beard styling. Travis has over
eight years of experience, and has been a professional barber
for the past three years. He lives in Wrightsville, but was
familiar with Marietta. He liked the town and the people
who live here so much, that when the time came for him
to open his own barber shop, he said he couldn’t think of a
better place. His shop has a retro feel to it, but with all of the
modern amenities. It is comfortable and inviting. He has a
waiting area with video games and a television, and he plans
on putting in some classic arcade units as well. Other than
the usual barbershop services, the shop also sells electric
razors, hair product, aftershave, and other men’s grooming
essentials. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins
are always welcome.
Lancaster Recumbent
103 West Market Street
Proprietor: Scott Barrows
info@lancasterrecumbent.com (717) 553-5834
The first thing you notice when you walk into Lancaster
Recumbent is the impressive inventory. The next thing
you’ll notice is the friendly staff who greet you with a
smile. The shop sells new and pre-owned recumbent
bicycles, including rehab, adaptive, electric assisted,
tandem, and rough terrain cycles. Upstairs, you’ll find
the cycle showroom, accessories, helmets, and of course,
the full-service maintenance shop. Downstairs, you’ll
find the rehabilitation and adaptive cycles, as well as
pre-owned inventory. The shop used to be located in
downtown Lancaster, but the owners decided to relocate
to Marietta, due to it being safe, relatively quiet, and close
to the Northwest River Trail. Their service department is
very knowledgeable as well, being well-versed in all types
of bicycle maintenance, so if you have a standard bicycle,
don’t be afraid to take it in for a tune-up. Even though
they only sell recumbents, they will happily work on any
type of bicycle.
Of course, these are all just observations I made after
a walk through and short chat with the owners of these
businesses. You shouldn’t just take my word for it, but
instead, check them out for yourselves. Marietta has
a long, proud tradition of supporting our local small
businesses, and with a new generation of business owners
opening their shops in our borough, it’s up to us to keep
that tradition alive. So, head down to West Market Street,
buy a cigar, get a cut and a shave, and maybe take a
recumbent bike for a test ride. You’ll be glad you did.