Darien's 'The Dock Shop' To Close After 15 Years

DARIEN, CT — The Dock Shop, a staple of coastal Darien and Norwalk for over a decade, will close at the end of the month.

The store's owners announced the closure on Facebook on Wednesday, thanking the community for its patronage.

"We are Very Sad to announce that we will be closing our shop," the Facebook post reads. "We are so Grateful to all of the people that have supported us for the past 15 years. We will be open thru the end of January and honestly hope to see many of you before we close. We hope you have enjoyed your Dock Shop experience as much as we've enjoyed getting to know all of you."

According to its website, The Dock Shop caters to all fans of nautical activities, including beach lovers, boaters and fishermen. It even stocks nautical decor, coastal themed decorations, gifts and favors for restaurants, pubs and weddings.

The Darien Times reports The Dock Shop wasfounded by business partners Michael La Scala and Toni Sabia. After four years in Norwalk, the store relocated to Darien, and another expansion brought a Dock Shop store to Westport in 2015. The latter store closed in 2019.

La Scala told The Darien Times the business was forced to close amid the coronavirus pandemic and the rise of online shopping, but that he plans to remain active in the community following the closure.

The Dock Shop, located at 51 Tokeneke Rd., is having a clearance sale on all merchandise and fixtures through Jan. 23.