Clearwater Sam Ash Music Store Among 18 Closing Nationwide

CLEARWATER, FL — Sam Ash Music is closing 18 stores nationwide, including its Clearwater location at 923 McMullen Booth Road, St. Pete Catalyst first reported.

An employee at the store, who didn’t want his name published because store managers told staff not to speak to the press, confirmed the Sam Ash location’s closure to Patch.

“I was told Friday I’m out of a job after just getting promoted,” he said, adding, “It literally came out of nowhere.”

He said that he wasn’t sure about the timeline for the store’s closure and everything in the building is currently on sale.

There’s another Sam Ash location in Tampa and there’s a “possibility” that Clearwater employees could transfer there, the worker told Patch. “It’s up in the air.

The store operates out of the former Kapok Tree Inn, which closed in 1991, according to Creative Loafing.

The building has been owned by Pamela Rubinson and her late husband since 1992. The couple operated Thoroughbred Music out of the space for seven years before leasing it to Sam Ash, reports said.

“It's a shame. I know there's a lot of history in the building and I know a lot of customers are very sad,” the Sam Ash employee told Patch.