loom's Variety opened its doors on September 10, 1997. The store was a long-time cornerstone of Laconia's downtown business as J.J. Newberry's, a variety chain. The store occupied its position on Laconia's Main Street since the 1930's, but closed in 1996 when the parent company, McCrory Stores, filed for Chapter 11. Though the chain closed, the Laconia store remained profitable due to its loyal, local customers.

Gary Bloom's history with J.J. Newberry's had spanned 37 years. He began working for the chain in 1959 as a stockboy in Salamanca, New York and moved up to Assistant Manager by high school graduation. He continued with the company as a manager in Elmira, New York, then for 15 years, he was on the road as the district manager for Northern New England. When the company started to fall upon hard times, he moved back to managing the Laconia store. At the time, he never imagined that he would own the store he managed.

When the local shoppers heard that Newberry's was closing, they approached Gary with concern. "I had long-time shoppers offering to give me their $1,000 life savings to keep the store open," he said. "It was very touching."

Loyal customers weren't the only ones who wanted to see the store stay open. With its prominent position on Laconia's Main Street, the city and county wanted to make sure they kept downtown a vital commercial area.

He hired all local laborers to repair the roof, windows and air conditioner. Gary's family, friends and neighbors donated many hours of their time to help paint walls, move fixtures and prepare the building to open as Bloom's Variety.