No more Kringle’s: Popular New Hampshire store, pizza shop won’t reopen after fire
BARTLETT, N.H. —
Nearly a year after a fire destroyed a popular country store and pizza shop in Glen, New Hampshire, the owners have announced they will not rebuild after all.
Kringle’s Pizza and Country Store, which is just down the street from Story Land, was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived in early November of 2025. Firefighters from several surrounding departments, including Fryeburg, Maine, responded to the scene, but were unable to save the building. Most of the store burned to the ground.
The owners had talked about rebuilding, but on Friday said they will not do so.
“Kringle’s has always been more than a business to me. It has been a place filled with familiar faces, families, friendships, and memories. I love this community, and am deeply grateful to every customer who has supported us over the years. Unfortunately, some decisions must be made from a business standpoint, even when our hearts wish the answer could be different,” said owner Diane Hutchinson in a lengthy post on Facebook.
She said the cost to rebuild and reopen would be “astronomical,” pointing to the “extraordinarily high” cost of building due to inflation, tariffs, and the cost of materials.
She also cited the rising cost of food and said that those costs would have forced the store to increase menu prices “beyond what we feel would be fair or realistic for the kind of restaurant Kringle’s has always been. Our goal was to offer a family friendly, affordable place for people to enjoy a meal together, and rebuilding under these financial conditions would make that very difficult to sustain.”
She said they did look at moving to a different location, rebuilding with a smaller building or reducing the menu, but still faced costs that were more than what made sense financially.
“Another factor I have to be honest with myself about is where I am in life. I turned 60 this year, and while it is hard to believe, it does affect this decision. If this had happened even five years ago, we may have moved forward with the additional financing that would be needed. At this stage, however, taking on that level of debt would not be wise for my financial future or my ability to retire in the future,” wrote Diane.
Kringle’s opened on Oct. 4, 1985, and was family owned and operated by Diane, Peter and Hannah.
