Hannigan’s Island Market

As far as island markets go, Hannigan’s needs to be ranked near the top. It’s located about a 3 minute walk from the ferry, so it’s convenient for all the island dwellers and summer tourists. It also fits perfectly into the landscape of this sleepy little island. The layout of this place reminds me of the grocery stores I can remember from my ‘growing up in a small town’ days — before GroceryCorps like Hannaford, Stop and Shop, Shaw’s etc took over. Back in the day, the name of every market or grocery store in every small town was either some guy’s first name or last name — and he usually worked in the store.
Hannigan’s is still like that. It’s also a place where you can grab a coffee in the morning and say hi to fellow islanders, and a place where you can rent a DVD or a order a pizza for a quiet night in (every night on Peaks Island is pretty quiet). They also have a pretty decent selection of beer, although I’m not sure how quickly they turn it over. I remember seeing some Founder’s collecting dust on a shelf, and I shed a sad tear. Make sure to check expiration dates — on your beer, but also on your grocery items of lesser importance like milk and meats. If you’re buying milk, chances are you can do a little digging beyond the first row and find an expiration date about a week or two further away. Don’t let the workers there see you or they’ll give you the evil eye.
There is an island markup — probably about 20−30% on some items above what you’d typically pay at GroceryCorp or Target — so I treat this like a convenience store and only grab the items I’m in desperate need of. Usually beer and trash bags. Remember, you’re on an island and they have to roll the cost of transportation into their prices.

Hannigan’s provides all of the essentials for the many islanders and mainland visitors throughout the year. The employees are alway very helpful and ready to assist you for items one may be looking for. The owners are great and down to earth. They take the time to provide the essential items at a reasonable cost. They also provide exceptional hours of operation.
This is a must stop for lunch at the deli or some of the traditional red hot dogs. I shop here often and would highly recommend them to everyone coming to the island.

This is simply a fantastic little island market with a surprisingly wide variety of products to pick from. It has a deli counter, plenty of the staples that you’d expect and a bunch of stuff that you wouldn’t (I’m thinking here if the wasabi peas!) The prices are fair when you consider that everything has to be brought in by boat and if you don’t see what you want, Bob, the owner, is often happy to get it for you the next time he gets a shipment.
I don’t know what Peaks Island would do without Hannigan’s!