Ed Anania Jr., at Anania’s Variety Store on Congress Street in Portland, which was started by his father and where Ed has worked for about 50 years. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer

The soon-to-retire owners of the longtime deli, pizzeria and convenience store Anania’s are closing their Congress Street store near the end of this year and putting the property and business up for sale.

Ed and Barbara Anania are also in the process of selling Anania’s Washington Avenue location to the store’s manager, Zach Lord, who is also their minority business partner.

“We just figured now is the time to retire,” said Ed Anania. “We’re both in our mid-60s, and I’m just getting tired. We’ve had a great run and can afford to retire.”

Edward Anania Sr. opened Anania’s on Congress Street 61 years ago, selling subs, pizza, beer, wine and groceries. The store moved a couple blocks down the street to its current location at 1227 Congress St. in 1973.

Anania said he’s uncertain what will happen to the Congress Street store once it’s sold. “We hope it’ll continue as a similar business, but we don’t know what the future is going to bring,” he said. “To the right person, we’d let them keep the name, if I thought they were going to keep it up to my standards.”

Anania said they’ll close the Congress Street store on Christmas Eve. Anania said he expects the sale of the Washington Avenue location to be complete by the end of the year, and that Lord will continue to operate the venue as Anania’s.

“Zach’s pretty much running that store 90% on his own now. By the end of the year, he’ll be running it completely,” he said.

The Ananias sold their South Portland Anania’s business at 323 Broadway in 2018. That store, later rebranded, is now the Ferry Village Market.