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Hobby Lobby has installed signs on Greenwich
Hobby Lobby, the massive crafts and home decor chain with more than 1000 stores across the country, has installed its signs on the Greenwich side of the Whole Foods building. (Thanks to N., J. and A. for the shots.) They have leased 70,000 square feet, of what is a 236,000-square-foot second floor, leaving one of the two upstairs spaces up for grabs still. No word on an opening date, though I have contacted the company several times.
Barnes & Noble left in January 2024; Bed Bath & Beyond left in March 2023. I did see a few workers loading debris into a dump truck on the Warren Street side last week, but hardly in any kind of big operation.
The company was founded in 1970 with a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City. It is the largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world with over 46,000 employees across 48 states. The headquarters are still in Oklahoma City — in a 12-million-square-foot complex — plus offices in China. There are 27 stores in New York state, including one on Staten Island.
Their affiliate company is Mardel Christian and Education Supply, which supplies books, bibles, gifts, church and education supplies as well as homeschooling curriculum. In addition to offering exceptional selection and value, the company’s number one principle is “Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.”
In 2014, Hobby Lobby sued the federal Department of Health and Human Services to protest the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, which required group health plans to furnish “preventive care and screenings” for women. The companies wanted the same exemption granted to religious non-profits. Hobby Lobby owners David and Barbara Green argued that the mandate substantially burdened their religious beliefs in violation of a federal law, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The case made its way to the US Supreme Court, where the majority opinion granted the exemption. Read more on that here.
Hobby Lobby also ran a full-page ad in newspapers across the country on July 4, 2021, implying that the United States should be a Christian theocracy. The ad included quotes from George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams as well as other figures from history, titled “Founding Fathers,” “Supreme Court Justices,” “Congress,” “Education,” “Supreme Court Rulings” and “Foreign Opinion.”
You can read the Snopes explanation of that ad and its reverberations here.
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This is not good news, in my opinion. Hobby Lobby is a VERY polarizing company, and in my opinion their values certainly don’t align with those of this neighborhood, or NYC in general. And more than most corporations this entity has been quite vocal about its intolerance for non-christians and is openly hostile towards the queer community. I plan to never step foot inside the store, and will try to organize protests and a boycott of the store. It actually makes me very sad to see them so close to home.
Hi Mary,
I really don’t know much about this place. I loved Bath & Beyond. I really pray you and other protest also when they put Safe Haven Shelters near our schools. One is coming on Pearl St attached to a Grade School. THIS is something that needs to be protested for our children. The store just don’t patronize it. Bottom line.
Luckily, in the last few paragraphs of this post, Pam helpfully lays out why this organization is harmful.
It’s also just my personal opinion, but I think it’s rude and presumptuous to tell someone else what level and form of protest is appropriate, and then redirect them to protesting some other, wholly unrelated thing.
i personally am happy to see anyone open a retail establishment in the neighborhood. there are way too many empty store fronts around here.
Upcoming article in the New York Times will detail how Hobby Lobby is aligned with the principles of Project 2025. There are also protests being organized.
Further, Hobby Lobby was forced to forfeit $1.6 million worth of smuggled cuneiforms, and other ancient objects which they had smuggled from Iraq. Many of these were destined for the Museum of the Bible, an organization that they fund, and which has been taken to task for showing so many counterfeit items. details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobby_Lobby_smuggling_scandal
The venality and criminality of these alleged Christians is on a MAGA scale. Buy your beads at Michaels.
Do they sell arts and crafts for Chanukkah and Passover? Are the goods all made in USA?
I hope this business fails spectacularly. They are not wanted here and don’t belong here.
Hey, I’m all for the Ten Commandments…even when shopping.
But even better is our Bill of Rights which brings them up to date.
So, Hobby whatever can preach all it likes while I can shop elsewhere just as freely. God bless America.
Agreed re: free speech.
But look into the lawsuits and criminal activities of Hobby Lobby. We are not talking free speech here. We are talking about theft, deceit and denying women and gay people their inherent rights under the law.
Don’t patronize the store if you don’t like it. So sick if you don’t agree with something or politics you want to destroy.
Too bad if you don’t like it you xenophobe with your stupid username “Native”. Deal with it. Shop there if you like it – how’s that? Support bigots.
D the big shot with Hateful comments. I’m a Xenophobe and a Bigot?? You don’t. Even know me. Shame on you, your the real hater
Yeah you are a xenophobe and a bigot.
For one you’re all bent out of shape over someone boycotting a company owned and run by hateful people.
Two your username snacks of Native American which you are not – none of us are. It’s “I’m from here & you’re not, you’re the other ”
Last I hide behind no computer I’ll say what I posted to your face.
Whoever runs the Tribeca Citizen magazine and the comments , do you really want these hateful people responding to a new business. Also D you are all you posted about me. Shame on you !! You hide behind commuter.