Renny’s celebrates half a century in business in Dover Plains

DOVER PLAINS — Weathering the test of time, the changes in the convenience store industry and even the COVID-19 pandemic, Renny’s Store & Deli founder Renny Abrams Sr. and his son, Renny Jr., have taken on each day at their family business with both a positive attitude and gratitude for the community that welcomed them to Dover Plains half a century ago.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary in October, father and son sat down with The Millerton News to share their story behind their beloved store.

It was on Oct. 8, 1971 that Abrams Sr., known to many in town these days for sitting behind the bench at the town court — he was then only 25 years old — purchased the building that would become Renny’s Store & Deli at 3379 Route 22 in Dover Plains.

He and his wife Helen and their two sons, Renny Jr., 4, and Christopher, 2, lived above the store until 1974 when they welcomed son Shane into the family. That prompted their move down the street.

“It started out with a man with a dream and a lot of energy,” said Renny Jr., “and it’s taken a person with a lot of empathy for people around him and for a community matched with a lot of energy to build a following.”

As Renny’s, as the popular store is usually referred to, thrived and the Abrams family grew with the birth of daughter Erica and son Kurt, Abrams Sr. said they adopted a business model based on their personal philosophy: Whether customers stop in to refuel their vehicles, to pick up a cup of coffee or to strike up a conversation, they are always greeted with warmth and familiarity.

“That’s our approach… recognizing them as human beings and relative to our world and our community,” he said.

Abrams Jr. said locals seemed to respond in kind and often remark on his family’s good fortune.

“People have allowed us to be part of their lives and thus be a part of the community for 50 years here in this building,” he said.

Along with running Renny’s, the Abrams family has been an active part of the community since planting down roots in Dover: Abrams Jr. has served on the Town Board while Abrams Sr. has served as town justice for 31 years and ran Nov. 2 unopposed for another four-year term.

Throughout its five decades of business, thousands of local teens have worked at Renny’s, and parents have lined up to have their children learn the values and skills that the store’s founder has to teach.

Today, Abrams Jr. works as the owner, manager and CEO of Renny’s Store, often opening up shop at 3 a.m. and leaving around 4 p.m. Currently, it employs 10 people.

From a financial perspective, father and son attribute their business success to baking a pie: instead of relying on a single part, it’s about looking at all the parts and how they add up. When COVID-19 arrived, Abrams Sr. took the year off while Abrams Jr. ran the store; when COVID-19 restrictions improved, the patriarch returned, having recognized the store as an important part of himself from which he couldn’t remain away.

Asked how they’ve stayed so optimistic with the hurdles of the last 50 years, Abrams Jr. said, “It’s like anything else: it becomes a habit and our habit has been to continuously be a positive moment in somebody’s day.”

Renny’s Store & Deli is open from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays and from 3 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

To call Renny’s, dial 845-877-6331; masks are required. A website is under construction; it will soon be available at www.Rennys Dover.com.