Up in Smoke is indeed up in smoke. But a new shop is set to take its place at Eaton Plaza in Seabrook, as part of what owner Ivan Eaton III terms a “change in model and practices.”

Eaton is hopeful that a new shop, described as an upscale lingerie boutique, will open before the New Year. “We have done a lot of remodeling inside the store,” said Eaton via e-mail. “New hardwood floors, fresh coat of paint, replacing ceiling tiles, new sales register, built changing rooms. A lot of time and effort has been put into this storefront."

But it’s a bittersweet time for the Route 1 fixture, as another business recently departed.

Rudy & Larry’s Fireworks, famous for a storefront as loud as its inventory, said a rather quiet goodbye. Eaton expressed sadness over the departure, saying it was due to state requirements for housing a fireworks retail store.

“The cost to bring our building into the code requirements could not be done, so we had to part ways,” he explained. “It would take decades to recover the cost to upgrade our building to the codes.”

Eaton is the son of the plaza’s original owner. Responding to an infamous raid at the location, Eaton says he took over managing the plaza from its previous management in July 2020.

“We had no part in the daily operation of the stores before that,” he says. “And had no clue any of this had even occurred til we read about it ourselves."

“Shock would not even come close to a word I would use. We have since changed our model and practices.”

Eaton reached out following an earlier article which deemed Eaton Plaza "the real Mall of America."

“I laughed a few times reading it,” he says. “I appreciate you raising me on Saturday evening.”

It’s always nice to hear back from a business or location, and reminiscent of the Fox Run Mall politely explaining that reports of its decline had been greatly exaggerated.

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