Winner (#1)

Sam's Emporium

Sam's Loan was founded in 1946 on Howard Street by Ruben Manes. For 25 years his pawn shop helped Akron's rubber workers and others make it from payday to payday. In 1971 Ruben sold the business to his son Lee, who moved it to its present location on East Exchange Street and shifted its focus. Ruben's business was a pawn shop that happened to do jewelry, today Sam's Emporium is a jewelry store that happens to do pawn.