Resnick's Hardware
since 1912

Resnick's Hardware is a long-standing, family-owned business in Bayonne, New Jersey, with a rich history dating back several decades. It’s well-known in the local community for providing a wide range of hardware supplies, tools, and home improvement products. The store has been a staple in Bayonne, embodying the old-fashioned, customer-centric model of a local hardware store, offering personalized service and expert advice that chain stores often lack.

Founded by members of the Resnick family, the store has survived through various changes in the retail landscape, including the rise of big-box stores and e-commerce. Over the years, it has built a loyal customer base due to its knowledgeable staff and commitment to serving the Bayonne community. Many locals fondly remember going to Resnick’s for anything from nuts and bolts to specialty items for home repairs.

Resnick’s Hardware is often celebrated not just for its products but also for its role as a community hub, where neighbors gather and share tips and stories. The store’s longevity in a small city like Bayonne speaks to its adaptability and the strong relationships it has forged with customers.

Finding reliable staff these days is a real challenge and the majority of his small staff are high school students. In addition to managing the business and everything that comes with that, Larry is regulary left to  handle calls for any orders or questions at the rental desk without any extra help. 

On any given day, Larry will have several interactions with customers that walk in looking for help. This aspect of the business is something he has always felt a connection with. 

Larry's always prided himself and his business as trying to solve customer's problems. This particular customer came in looking for a very specific screw, which Larry had to go searching in the basement to try and find. One thing he always tries to remind customers of is, "We can't stay in business by selling one 12 cent screw."

Resnick's moved to its current location at 800 Broadway, Bayonne, in 2018. Larry proudly displaying well wishes from a longtime customer with the first purchase at their new location.

Larry looks on while his wife, Linda, who works at the store regularly, researches an item. Their granddaughter, Matilda watches intently. Family has always been in the DNA of Resnick's Hardware since it's inception. Larry and his brothers grew up working in the store. His kids, nieces, and nephews all worked in the store at one point or another. It's one of the biggest connections they share. 

Larry's office is littered with papers, retail books, random tools, bills, and among other things. Regardless, Larry says, "I still know where everything is." Among those items is an obituary of the store’s founder, Harry Resnick, (Larry’s grandfather), sitting on a table in the office.

Linda, Larry's wife, sits in the office while braiding her granddaughter's hair. 

The delivery driver didn’t show up that day, so Larry was forced to do some of the rental pickups on his own. He takes apart pieces of a rental tent.

While his employees load up rental equipment into the truck, Larry calls the next delivery on the schedule. 

They load up a dunk tank for the next customer. Due to lack of space and cost, some of the bigger rental items are stored at Larry’s house (on left).

Customers will regularly bring their kids shopping with them and Larry loves seeing their faces light up when he offers to blow them up a balloon.  

Customers come in with complex problems sometimes and Larry will spend as much time as is needed in order to try and find a solution for them. Here, Larry is trying to solve a plumbing problem for someone who had a toilet tank issue. 

Old family and historical store photos litter the walls in the office and around the store. Photos seen here are of his father, his grandfather, and various other relatives, in addition to business tax documents and other random papers.

As Larry closes up at the end of a long day, he calls his wife to let him know he's on his way and asks if she needs anything. 

957 Broadway, the site where Resnick’s Hardware was located from 1918-2018. Larry was forced to sell the building and the new owners knocked it down to build a 15 story apartment building with a very upscale restaurant. Larry said, "I'm not sure who eats there, it never seems busy, but I know it's very expensive." This photos was taken around lunchtime and there didn't seem to be any diners at this point.