Haines Quick Shop reopens after burning down in 2024

Last Friday evening in Haines, there was only one place to be: The brand new Quick Shop, a shiny new building stocked with everything from ice cream and gun safes to an entire row of Xtratuf boots.

It seemed that much of town was packed into the building on the Haines’ waterfront — the store had just reopened after burning down more than a year ago.

The October 2024 fire destroyed a string of apartments and businesses including the convenience, liquor and sporting goods shop known collectively as the Quick Shop.

“It’s a big day for our town,” Haines Mayor Tom Morphet shouted from the checkout line that stretched through the store.

Minutes after opening, some 50 people were already in line, with dozens more milling about. Many kids’ arms were piled high with goodies.

Further back in the store, owner Mike Ward was busy scanning toilet paper amid the chaos. In between greeting customers, and accepting their congratulations, he said it’s been a long road to get here.

“It’s a relief to finally be open,” Ward said. “But we got a lot of work ahead of us, so it’s not that much of a relief.”

Ward said he aims to have the store fully stocked and in order by the fire’s two-year anniversary on Oct. 5. He added that he rebuilt as quickly as possible because he had heard a larger convenience chain was thinking about moving into Haines.

“So that’s one of the major reasons why I got aggressive, right?” he said. “I didn’t even think about taking the money.”

But the money part hasn’t been easy. Ward had insurance, but his policy didn’t come close to covering rebuilding costs – or the $1.8 million in inventory that also went up in flames.

“I got hosed,” he said. “I took a $2.5 million loss.”

The loss was felt in the community, too. Haines’ grocery stores close by 8 p.m. most days, and even earlier on Sundays. The Quick Shop is open until midnight.

“I feel like not having anywhere to get food late at night is pretty hard for people. So I feel like everyone’s pretty excited to have it back,” said local Ryan Irvin, who worked on the crew that built the facility.

He added that it’s cool – and somewhat novel – for the community to have a space that was actually built for its purpose.

“We’re always retrofitting old buildings, making them work. But this is actually designed for what we’re doing, what Mike’s doing, rather,” Irvin said.

Morphet, the mayor, echoed that point. He said the new store is a testament to Ward’s faith in Haines’ capacity to keep it open.

“We’re only 2,000, 2,500 people here, so it’s kind of a shot in the arm to town morale,” Morphet said. “People like the town to have nice stuff, and this is beautiful.”