The owners of a popular store in downtown New Canaan say they’re working with their landlords, as they have in the past, amid a highly seasonal retail environment to ensure continued investment in the community.
When it began fitting out its space on Elm Street, The Adirondack Store “invested in a 10-year commitment to New Canaan,” owner Christopher English said.
“And we just wanted to put it out there that the blurb of what was put in, the court documents, is really not represented correctly because it says that the rent is $11,250 a month—that was the rent the first month that we opened,” English said, referring to this news article. “Our rent is actually $23,416.67 a month and continues to go up. So we have invested over $1 million in rent since we have been in New Canaan. That’s a significant amount of money. The landlords have definitely worked with us in the past, we’ve worked with them, and we have fallen behind multiple times because it’s a seasonal community when it comes to business.”
He noted that The Adirondack Store is a growing and successful business, and that he and Shin have offered twice to purchase the building they are in, but its owners haven’t been willing to sell.
English, who co-owns the store with Stephen Shin, added that The Adirondack Store opened in the winter of 2020, just as COVID hit.
“We were delayed by six months and we had to—with all of our businesses in northern New York, and New Canaan—deal with that whole issue in retail. And the New Canaan store is the only store that we do not own the property, so it’s the most expensive store that we operate. But in this last year, in 2025, as every year that has gone by, our stores up north have become more seasonal as the Adirondacks have become a second-home community and the population is dropping. And this year, also, we lost a lot of our Canadian business, and being near the Canadian border is significant, which will change over time.”
In buying The Adirondack Store 10 years ago, English said that he and Shin have seen 600% growth “and have shown profit every year except for one year during COVID, in 2021.”
“And we plan to continue to expand and build our brand,” he said. “We just realize that the world is changing and retail is changing and we cannot continue to operate at a cash flow. We need to go in other directions in helping support our off-season seasonality.”
You painted a very realistic picture of the situation Christopher. Your commitment to the town is exemplified fully in your beautiful store. I wish you and Stephen the best and hope your very special store will continue to be an important part of the retail village in New Canaan.
Denise Gannalo
I was disappointed to see an article published earlier with information that is misleading and unfairly damages the reputation of a fellow small business owner. The Adirondack store and its owners exemplify exactly the type of retailer New Canaan should strive to support—community-minded, engaged in local events, and consistently giving back to the town.
Rather than casting aspersions on a small, independent business, the focus should be on the broader issue of escalating commercial rents and the role landlords play in forcing long-standing businesses out of town. This is a growing concern and one that directly impacts the character of New Canaan. The town’s appeal has long been rooted in its unique, locally owned shops that draw visitors from across Fairfield County and beyond.
As a publication that serves this community—and as a small business itself—I would hope greater care would be taken to ensure accuracy, fairness, and proper fact-checking before publishing content that can have real consequences for local business owners.
Christopher English and Stephen Shin provided facts in this article and they should be celebrated for being role model small businesses owners in a town that prides themselves on just that.
Thank you, Kathryn McGlinn, for this thoughtful comment. After reading it, we can all agree that you, Kathryn McGlinn, are a thoughtful person. As such, know that I will defend Kathryn McGlinn against anyone dropping into this thread lobbing baseless criticisms at Kathryn McGlinn.
For example, if someone says that Kathryn McGlinn suffers the type of low self-esteem that makes a person lie in wait for a chance to demonstrate an unfounded moral superiority—transferring and projecting her own self-loathing onto an easy target from the comfort of a late-night keyboard—I would answer that Kathryn McGlinn is no troll. In fact, Kathryn McGlinn is a well-meaning and civic-minded resident who places the bar in front of her at the grocery store checkout to ensure that the shopper ahead is not mistakenly charged for Kathryn McGlinn’s groceries.
Similarly, to those who would accuse Kathryn McGlinn of submitting a comment without understanding or asking about the back-and-forth between this community news outlet and the store owners, I would point out that Kathryn McGlinn is probably a Daughter of the American Revolution who helped neighborhood kids launch a fundraising lemonade stand during the California wildfires. I might add that Kathryn McGlinn is an elected member of the vestry who never voted for Trump.
I also hope no one jumps into this thread claiming that Kathryn McGlinn has become the very thing she despises—launching inaccurate, un-fact-checked attacks on a local business. Because if they did, I would respond that Kathryn McGlinn—a skilled builder of consensus and community—smiles broadly at the woman behind the counter when picking up the McGlinn family’s wash-and-fold, gets the tab when lunching on Elm Street with visiting McGlinns, and shies away from public acknowledgement of her strong character. (It took more than a little arm-twisting for Kathryn McGlinn to press “submit” on her comment.)
Kathryn McGlinn would never admit that back in her hometown, residents refer to unexpected acts of kindness as “Kathryn McGlinns.”
I so wish that all of these would-be critics of Kathryn McGlinn—instead of dismissing Kathryn McGlinn’s heartfelt and insightful comments as instantly regrettable virtue-signals from a place of ignorance and presumption—would celebrate the generous and collegial spirit of Kathryn McGlinn with their own special act of thoughtfulness— perform a little “Kathryn McGlinn” of their own, you might say.
And I thought only Laura Ault had a great sense of humor here.
As someone who knows Stephen and Christopher personally, I want to say how much The Adirondack Store means to our community. This isn’t just another retail shop—it’s become a true gathering place, a coffee spot where you run into familiar faces, and a destination that adds real character to downtown New Canaan.
What impresses me most is their commitment. Opening in winter 2020, right as COVID hit, and then investing over $1 million in rent alone over these years shows incredible dedication to our town. The fact that they’ve offered to buy the building twice speaks volumes about their long-term vision for being part of New Canaan.
Retail is tough, but Stephen and Christopher have built something special here—600% growth and profitability nearly every year is remarkable. They’re being transparent about the difficulties while working constructively with their landlords to find solutions.
I’m rooting for them and encourage our community to support this local business that has given so much to downtown New Canaan.
Your lack of fact checking before publishing this article is extremely concerning. The Adirondack Store is something Our town needs.
Very sweet to see you coming to her aid. Yet there is not a single fact in either of these articles that is not sourced and attributed. Since you and the family insist on it, here’s a copy of the complaint lodged against The Adirondack Store. Perhaps not the direction that the store owners wanted for this thread, but it seems important to set you McGlinns straight. We’ll add the link to the day 1 article about the eviction notice, too. Maybe at dinner tonight, your family can circle up and agree to think a bit harder and longer before attacking a local business here. Thank you for reading the New Canaanite.