Seeking to fill a niche in the market created by Dartmouth students, several establishments have recently set up shop in the Hanover area.
Two new stores, Mind Games and Ramunto's Pizza, have expanded shopping choices in the Upper Valley.
Mind Games, a gaming boutique located above the Dartmouth Co-Op on South Main Street, opened at the beginning of Fall term.
The store, which specializes in family board games and exotic chess sets, entered the Hanover market hoping to capitalize on the recreational needs of the area's residents and students, store manager Cameron Cudhea said.
"We are basically trying to fill a niche that needs to be filled," Cudhea said. "We offer higher quality board and chess games. Students and residents know where we are, and we are satisfied with our current level of sales."
Joining the market for made-to-order pizza, Ramunto's Pizza of West Lebanon opened its doors in July.
Featuring its own brand of Sicilian and "garlic knot" pizza, Ramunto's hopes to capitalize on consumer demand for "high quality," specialty pizzas, store manager John Kelly said.
Mr. Kelly cited the large student population in the Hanover area as a main factor in deciding to open the new pizza parlor.
"The population in West Lebanon and Hanover is definitely good for business," he said. "We serve an average of 100 customers per day, so I'd say business is going well."
Everything But Anchovies owner Charlie Dowd was optimistic about Ramunto's entrance into pizza delivery market.
"I think it's great. The more pizza restaurants there are; the more people think about pizza, and the more people think about pizza; the more pizza is ordered," Dowd said, concluding, "More business for everyone."
But Wal-Mart has not been as successful at establishing itself in the Hanover-area.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is moving ahead with legal action against the Lebanon Planning Commission.
Wal-Mart filed a building proposal with the commission that was summarily rejected, Lebanon Planning Commissioner Kenneth Niemczyk said.
The planning commissioners decided Wal-Mart's building plan would create too much traffic for the Route12A roadway to handle, Niemczyk said.
Wal-Mart appealed the planning commission's decision to Vermont's Superior Court, where it was denied based on the chain's failure to file the appeal within the Court's prescribed time-frame, Niemczyk said.
The case now sits before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, with action expected within the next three months.
"As of now, nothing is definite," Niemczyk said. "If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the city, the issue is dead. If the Court rules in favor of Wal-Mart, the case will be remanded back to Superior Court, which can then decide to remand the issue back to the planning commission or rule in favor of Wal-Mart."
