Longtime Tyler Store is Closing

Joyner-Fry, originally on the downtown square in Tyler but now in the Bergfeld Center, has been in business for 75 years, it's the oldest family-owned business in the city. Now the store is down to the last few weeks of selling men's shirts and ties.

The men's clothing store got its start in the early 1930s in downtown Tyler, and now Steve Fry is retiring and plans to close in late December. The doors could close sooner if the shelves and racks become bare before the end of the year.

Letters have already gone out to customers in the database, saying the "Going out of Business Sale is on now," so the merchandise is starting to roll off the shelves this weekend and it won't be replaced with new inventory. When it's gone, it's gone.

What's next for the Fry's? The Tyler Morning Telegraph says, Mrs. Fry plans to work in her yard and experiment with cooking dishes she has never made before. “I'll finally have time to rise bread,” she told the paper. Mr. Fry plans to relax and work on his target shooting.

There will be plenty of other places to buy men's clothing in Tyler after this store closes, which of course misses the point. It's sad to lose a family-owned business that has lasted three-quarters of a century.

But here's another way to look at it. This will be a well-deserved retirement for the Fry's!