Brits have their pubs, Italians have their palazzos and Vermonters have their general stores. Much more than just a place where you can grab home goods, hardware and something good to eat, general stores in the Green Mountain State are community hubs. I grew up walking distance from two of them, each with a distinctly different approach to serving the town. One had two gas pumps out front and was the place to grab a six-pack of Genny, lotto tickets, and tobacco products. The other had a hardware section, dry goods, a walk-in beer cooler, a full deli, and a selection of the less popular VHS tapes from “Video 1” 15 miles south in Manchester Center. (Both are general stores, though depending on the age of the Vermonter you ask, one is a country store and the other a country market.) With this list, I’ll be keeping it straightforward, and the businesses mentioned will all be referred to as general stores. The difference in the offerings from each of them are easy enough to understand once you’re there. None of them are convenience stores, that rural cousin of the bodega. Unlike a bodega, convenience stores are to be generally avoided as very few independent ones exist.
Owner/operator status, perhaps more than anything else, distinguishes a general store from the ordinary convenience store. Vermonters are notoriously deft at sniffing out the inauthentic. The stores are central to the communities they serve, so sticking to the time honored traditions of these retail establishments is key.
My go-to locations will always remain those where you’re likely to find a group of farmers enjoying a morning Pepsi out front and a robust offering of delicious foods inside. Worn floorboards and a wood stove aren’t required, but they’re certainly a bonus, especially as both are increasingly rare these days. Many of the stores mentioned within have closed intermittently and changed hands multiple times since the days of my youth. Fortunately, you can still find produce in an aisle over from the power tools, fresh-baked goods around the corner from fishing lures, and local cheese upstairs from the outdoor apparel. The VHS tapes though, those are going to be harder to find.
Of equal importance to what’s in the store is who’s in the store. Even as a kid I understood that a general store was the social center of a small town. It’s understood that if you’re going to your local store, it’s going to involve a “stop and chat”, so you’d better factor that into your schedule. Town debates unfolded in these stores, arguments about budgets and boundaries and the future. Many doubled as post offices in their early days and some of the more rural ones still do. In the dark days of December and January, when snow can make roads impassable and the countryside can get awfully quiet, general stores offer warmth, light and company.
As I’ve gotten older and traveled more, what’s struck me is how each store is a reflection of its particular town. Some have remained quintessentially rustic, all weathered wood and vintage signage. Others have evolved with wine cellars, espresso machines and WiFi. There are also stores that are in utter disrepair, but still offer great food and conversation. The fixtures often tell their own stories. I grew up asking for candy from the same display case that kids in the late 19th century would have and grabbing eggs from a giant ice box. This sort of authenticity can’t be manufactured. It's simply what happens when a place serves its community long enough to become inseparable from local identity.
They've witnessed generations. Seen horse-drawn wagons give way to pickup trucks and EV’s. Handwritten ledgers were replaced by cash registers and wireless terminals. Kerosene lamps traded for electricity and eventually, yes, LED bulbs. Yet they still don’t feel all that different from how they did 100 to 200 years ago. That’s down to them adapting without totally abandoning what made them essential in the first place.
Mach’s Market, Pawlet, VT
My hometown store that I’d walk to most days once I could walk and bike to once I could ride a bike. Deli case is one of the best in the state. Wine and beer selection is top notch. If you ask nicely, maybe they’ll take you to the back part of the store to look through the viewing hatch at the river rushing underneath.
Dorset Union Store, Dorset, VT
Skews towards the fancier end, but that’s Dorset for you. Doesn’t change the face that the prepared foods and baked goods are excellent. The “Dorset Reuben” on marbled rye is my go to for lunch, maybe a side of potstickers for later. Soft serve in the summer, bottles of Ruinart Blanc-de-Blanc for under $100 anytime.
H.N. Williams, Dorset, VT
Used to be the place with a great selection of Carhartt in the attic and breakfast sandwiches. Now it’s a full blown department store (in the best possible way) thanks to an expansion and light renovation of the original building. Great place to get gifts or a little something for yourself.
J.J. Hapgood’s, Peru, VT
The first of the old general stores I grew up going to that got sold and renovated. I cherish the memories of woodfired pizza after going snowboarding at Bromley or swimming at Hapgood Pond, but the new owners have done an amazing job with the whole operation. Biscuit breakfast sandwich is not to be missed.
Winhall Market, Winhall, VT
Met some of my oldest friends here thanks to my grandparents taking me just about anytime we were over the mountain visiting them. As is the case with Mach’s, the VHS selection is long gone, but the deli and donuts remain.
Wayside Country Store, West Arlington, VT
Whether it’s a drop-in on the way over to Saratoga Springs, NY or a detour just to get something from the deli counter, Wayside is a must. Spent an inordinate amount of money on beer and sandwiches here before putting a canoe in the Battenkill just up the road.
West Townshend Country Store, West Townshend, VT
Typically I’d stop here anytime I was driving over to pickup I-91 in Brattleboro or take Route 2 to Boston. It’s been awhile since I darkened their door, but judging by recent photos it still looks like they’ve got great food, a weekly farmers market and live music.
Ripton Country Store, Ripton, VT
Have only ever stopped here a few times. Like Wayside, it’s worth making a detour just for a cup of coffee and the atmosphere. As an added bonus, it’s on Route 125, which is one of the many entertaining roads that connects Route 100 to Route 7, and is best enjoyed on a motorcycle.
Addison Four Corners Store, Addison, VT
My go-to stop on Route 22A whether driving up-to or down-from Burlington. They’ve got a smoker out back, old fashioned candy jars and make their own fudge. It sits on one of the prettiest parts of 22A where you can look west towards Lake Champlain and on a clear day, see the Adirondack Mountains off in the distance.
Old Brick Store, Charlotte, VT
One of those places that it took me years to stop at. Once I finally did I’d make it a point to go back anytime I was in the area. It’s changed hands a few times, currently run by some folks that have modernized the interior and know their way around making chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon rolls. Keep driving west and you can take a ferry across Lake Champlain to Essex, NY, which, if timed right, can really expedite a drive to Manhattan or Montreal via I-87.
Original General Store, Pittsfield, VT
Another that my parents too me to as a kid and then I forgot about it. It was nearly 10 years ago that I was driving up to Stowe via Route 100 and came across the strangely familiar-looking store. Their breakfast sandwich ranks in the top 3 of all these stores, mostly because when they say “three-egg breakfast sandwich,” they mean it. If you’re legitimately in a rush, don’t bother stopping. You’ll want to linger, whether it’s by the woodstove or in the wine cellar.
