Henry Pini (shown right), immigrated from Switzerland in 1906. He founded his first store on East Grant Avenue in the Verissimo Building between Reichert and Sherman Avenues in 1917 (see second photo). It was a small grocery where Henry sold produce that he and his wife Mary raised on their land. He also stocked his store with dry goods.

In 1923, Pini's moved further down the street on East Grant at the Sherman intersection. The variety of items sold expanded to include hay, grain, feed, coal, clothes, hardware, groceries and fresh meat, chickens and eggs.

In 1929 Pini acquired the land where the Novato Theater now stands on Grant between Machin and Redwood and constructed a modern store (see third picture at right). The old Community House was used as a warehouse for larger items. Pini's became one of the largest employers in the city of Novato.

In 1942 Henry Pini died and his widow, Mary, sold the business and rights to use the Pini name to Douglas Phillips, Baxter Hovis and Clarence Nelson. In 1944 a huge fire destroyed the store.

The store was resurrected in 1945 at 1107 Grant (see fourth picture at right). The building donned the famous neon hammer sign (pictured at left).

In 1968 Ben and Ellarene Young and Tiernan and Florence Saunders purchased the store. Then in 1983 their children, Charles "Chip" Young and Steve Saunders purchased the store from their parents and are the current owners.

In January 2004 Pini Hardware moved into its current location, 1535 South Novato Blvd Ste A, in the Nave Shopping Center, a much larger space. Not only does the increased square footage allow more merchandise, it also allows for greater customer service overall.

To the right is the original store front. Later the entire shopping center received an updated facelift which you can see in the image below.