Cherry’s Bait and Tackle shop, a fixture on the waterfront since 1963, closed for good on Aug. 8, with the town taking control of the property for back rent and taxes owed.
“Everybody is upset,” said Jessica (Carafoli) Kirk, the third generation of the Carafoli family to run the bait shop. “People have been stopping by to say they remember coming here as a child with their parents or grandparents and they are very sad to see it go.”
The bait shop was built in 1963 by Eltiro “Cherry” Carafoli, who had previously sold bait off the back of his truck around the wharf. The Town of Plymouth owns the wharf and several surrounding parcels which are leased by businesses that operate on the land.
According to court records, Cherry’s owed the town $18,212 in back rent, taxes, water and sewer fees. On March 12, after several failed attempts to work out a plan with Kirk, the town sent a “Notice to Quit Occupancy,” commonly known as an eviction notice. It said rent had not been paid since October 2024. When Kirk did not comply with the eviction notice, the town went to court to take over the property.
“We always try to work things out with businesses or residents who have fallen behind,” said Town Manager Derek Brindisi. “This situation has been going on since last fall. We reached out to Jessica on several occasions with no response. So, we finally had to take action.”
At the bait shop on closing day, Kirk acknowledged that she was behind, saying that she was going through a divorce which caused financial trouble.
“I’m not in this for the money,” she said. “I took over for my aunt, because I wanted to keep this business going for our family and all the families in Plymouth who come here.”
As a last resort, Kirk said, she hoped to sell the business this summer to pay off her debts. But Brindisi said that idea came too late in the eviction process and any transfer of the lease would have to be approved by the Select Board.
“The best way to move forward is through the public procurement process under the statute, so anyone interested in that location can make a proposal,” Brindisi said.
At a July 9 district court hearing on the town’s eviction petition, Kirk and the town’s lawyer, Kathleen McKay, worked out an agreement for Kirk to vacate the property, terminate the lease, and turnover the building to the town in return for the town waiving all the money owed.
Brindisi said the town will issue a request for proposals this fall, seeking a new tenant to revitalize the property. He will work with town staff and the Select Board to develop the criteria for the type of businesses or uses that the town would like to see on that high-profile lot.
“We always have the best interest of Plymouth taxpayers in mind. We need to see what the best use of that property could be,” he said.
Michael Cohen can be reached at michael@plymouthindependent.org