Comings & Goings: Christie’s Undergoing Change

Christie’s Kitchen Country Store, 161 Cross Highway, will close next month under operator John Hooper. “We’ll close sometime between Dec. 7 and the holidays,” he said. The former Wall Street investment manager has operated the business since 2009 in what he calls “a labor of love.” Hooper said his lease was up, the septic system cannot be expanded to handle more business, and now he will have time to aid wife Renee in her White Oak Farm and Table food endeavor. Property owner Tim Purcell, who operates the adjacent Christie’s Service auto repair, said he is in talks with a successor tenant and hopes he will open a similar business early in the year. Christie’s, a neighborhood favorite, traces its origins to 1926 when Christie Masiello opened a fruit and vegetable stand on Cross Highway. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com