‘Dave’s Movie Center + Romantic Supermart’ in Bangor Closes

It's the end of an era: One of Bangor's raciest video stores has apparently closed its doors for good, according to a newspaper report.

Anyone who grew up in Bangor is likely more than familiar with Dave's Movie Center (and Romantic Supermart) on Hammond Street. If the name doesn't sound familiar, you might have heard it called "Dirty Dave's," as it was locally known because of its adult novelties.

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Between the festive mannequins in the window and the seasonal signs plastered across the top of the building, if you lived in the area, and couldn't remember what time of year it was, one glance over in Dave's direction, and you knew what holiday was right around the corner.

For the better part of a month now, there have been curtains hanging over the display windows at Dave's. To the point where my kids were even asking why they could only see the mannequin's feet. "Surely Dave's isn't closing?" I thought to myself. "It's been around forever. There's no way!"

Well, I guess there is a way. And according to the Bangor Daily News, Dave's Movie Center has closed up shop, for good, after about 40 years in business.

The business was started by Dave Lawler, who died in 2018. Starting as a video store, it expanded into adult novelty items.

But between online streaming services and online "toy" companies, folks have options now, that they didn't then, and brick-and-mortar stores like Dave's are becoming few and far between.

In fact, there aren't many movie rental stores left at all in Maine.

It will be strange to not have Dave's occupy that corner of town. Love it or hate it, it's been holding down that block for the better part of four decades now.

Wonder what will go in there next?