The paper came off the windows at the grand opening of Ace Hardware in Federal Hill this week and people immediately started rolling in.

Owners John Elliott and Gina Schaefer said the store, located at 1214 Light St., had a smooth opening without any real hitches after several weeks of renovation work to the building.

“We’re excited to be open,” Schaefer said. “We even got our first dog visit. We are pet-friendly here.”

Schaefer and Elliott have worked for six weeks preparing for the store’s launch.

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Why choose Federal Hill for a new hardware store?

“There was a high concentration of renovation going on,” Schaefer said. “There is also a really strong business community, which we didn't know about at first.”

Federal Hill Main Street Executive Director Bonnie Crockett considers the Ace store as the next logical step in business development in the historic neighborhood.

“A hardware store in a neighborhood with all this residential development will be great,” Crockett said. “It's a great use of that space, which was unusually large for Federal Hill.”

The location was a Dollar General store until the franchise pulled out last August.

Elliott and Schaefer both said it will be customer service that sets them apart from their competitors.

“We always try to greet customers at the door and help them find what they need,” Elliott said. “We have 18 employees working right now, so there are more people to help the customers than most stores this size.”

Because every community is different, with different needs, Schaefer said the hardware store's stock may not be all that traditional.

“There are not a lot of lawns here,” Schaefer said. “We have a whole section with Ravens and Orioles stuff.”

Crockett said business in the area will get a boost with the neighborhood's most recent addition.

“All new businesses spur more business,” she said. “It will snowball. And, revitalization creates revitalization.”