Forget the Little House on the Prairie vibe. Today’s general stores go way beyond the basics with sophisticated products and inventive wares.
We have seen the future of general stores, and it’s tinned fish. Or perhaps chili crisp.
While, historically, general stores were where locals gathered to buy everything from washboards and tobacco to sacks of grain and penny candy, today, Hudson Valley entrepreneurs are putting a clever, food-focused spin on these businesses. Many of them have espresso-based drinks and breakfast fare as their heartbeat, but also delight locals with both “help, I’m desperate” staples (milk, eggs) and surprising artisanal cheeses and global condiments. While you may not have set out to buy pistachio pesto or Japanese Kewpie mayo, we bet you’re heading home with it.
Here, get to know eight of the area’s most creative, upscale general stores.
Copake General Store
171 County Rte 7A, Copake
Needing a change from her relentless career as a network news writer/producer in NYC, Seung Suh opened the Copake General Store in December of 2017. “I somewhat selfishly decided to open the kind of store I would like to shop in,” says the Ancram resident.
What that meant was a place where you could pop in and get that one missing item (a carrot, an onion) you needed for a recipe. And, also where you could buy ready-to-eat or takeout food that ranges from familiar, like turkey chili and beef stew, to the boundary-pushing—perhaps a roast beef banh mi sandwich, piled high with radishes, cilantro, and spicy mayo.
Copake General Store. Courtesy Copake General Store.
Suh favors local producers and businesses (many of them female- and minority-owned) whenever possible, stocking Phoenicia Diner pancake mix, for instance, plus gorgeous cutting and cheese boards crafted by Stanfordville-based KHEM Studios.
“Because we are in such a small town, I wanted to have a place where people would get to know their neighbors. To see those connections being made is incredibly important and rewarding to me.”
Coxsackie General Store
45 Reed St, Coxsackie
Amy Bennett is no stranger to owning a local store: She opened the Greene Grape in Brooklyn 20 years ago, which began as a wine shop and evolved to include a kitchen and provisions store. So when she began living part-time in Coxsackie, she couldn’t resist the pull of doing business on the town’s main street.
Her upstate shop opened September of 2023 not as a museum of food, she says, but a place locals can get necessities, like vegetables. “Produce obviously spoils,” she says, “but it’s a challenge we’re committed to.” Bennett works with nearby businesses FarOut Container Farm and Stoneberry Farm to keep her supplies super-fresh.
There’s an excellent stash of delectable imports, such as Spanish tinned fish, fancy French butter, and Australian Tim Tam cookies which have triggered a local obsession. But what may bring most people through the door is the excellent array of teas and coffees, delicious soups of the day, and splendid baked goods. “You can grab coffee and a snack, bump into a neighbor, and then pick up some milk for breakfast the next day,” says Bennett. “It’s one of the really nice small-town things about a shop like this.”
Golden Russet Cafe & Grocery
835 Fiddlers Bridge Rd, Rhinebeck
Whether you’re looking for a fried chicken sandwich, a wiffle ball and bat, or stellar Szechuan chili crisp, the Golden Russet has your back. “I see our ever-expanding selection of grocery items as an attempt to become the Valley’s most dynamic savory hardware store,” says owner Craig Cavallo with a laugh. Since the summer of 2019, the eatery/store has been serving up bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, turkey melts, and more to streams of customers.
Golden Russet. Courtesy Golden Russet.
While there are essentials (toilet paper, Bisquick), what invites browsing is a trove of Japanese sauces, Spanish tinned fish, and iconic Moxie sodas. Plus, there’s what may be the Valley’s best selection of hard cider, curated by Craig, who literally co-wrote the book on the topic, American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage.
With wife Jenny’s help, Cavallo says the Golden Russet is always looking to fill new needs, which lately has meant providing dinner on premises. They offer a popular Friday night fish fry and Saturday suppers featuring braised short ribs with polenta, and the like. (Pro tip: If there happens to be any homemade salted chocolate chip cookies still available, get one.)
Kitty’s Market
60 South Front St, Hudson
With its too-good-to-be-true location right across from Hudson’s train station, Kitty’s Market (open since fall 2020) has happily served everyone from day-trippers in search of caffeine before strolling on Warren Street to commuters hunting for dinner.
Lattes and crullers—in flavors like dulce de leche and hibiscus—are currently having a moment, and Kitty’s “spinning chicken” (aka rotisserie) with jasmine rice and miso poppy slaw makes for an ever-popular meal on the fly. The well-stocked cold cases offer meats, dairy, and more, and the shelves are packed with local honey, botanical salves, puzzles, dice, and other clever items.
Come evening, Kitty’s morphs into a wonderful place to grab a cocktail and dinner, and the outdoor space in back is often home to music and craft events.
Main Street Farm
36 Main St, Livingston Manor
Think of Main Street Farm as the OG general store. Opened in 2010, it’s one-stop shopping for basics as well as a foodie’s paradise. Founder and owner Jon Westergreen was a weekender in the area and saw it as a food desert back then. Building on his career in retail, he acquired a little storefront on Main Street to provide good local food—he soon expanded, again and then, again.
“I had started as a food market where you got a baguette and cheese,” Westergreen recalls, “but then people were saying, ‘Can you throw together a sandwich for me?’ and things took off.” Now, people make a pilgrimage for his trout melt, made with the area’s famous trout.
The kitchen’s hours are expanding, with a new “After Four” program that features draft beer and cider, plus a burger-based menu (with vegan options). The retail aspect of Westergreen’s empire is going strong, too, with loads of fresh produce, trout, meats, yogurt, granola, and fun finds like Iberian potato chips and the store’s bespoke gingham-wrapped jams. For those feeling overwhelmed by the bounty, stop by on weekends. “We’re starting to do samplings, like at Costco,” he says. “Come in and try something new.”
Paracasa
391 NY-296, Hensonville
First things first: the cinnamon rolls. For some, that’s all they need to know about Paracasa, the café and general store owned by Danielle and Ely Franko. The couple—whose local projects include the Hunter Houses Airbnbs, the Henson Inn, and the restaurant Matilda—opened Paracasa in September 2022 to provide high-quality pantry items and light fare for guests at their properties and locals alike.
Paracasa. Photo by The Hunter Houses.
The shelves and cold cases also beckon with international nibbles—the owners are unabashed fans of ham, with mortadella, coppa, salami, and other variations, sliced to order. Other customer favorites include pot pies and top-notch steaks sourced from Highland Hollow Farm, up the road in Schoharie.
For adventurous eaters, Paracasa doesn’t disappoint: There’s umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum paste); kelp salsa; Scotch Bonnet hot sauce; and (yes) tinned fish. Paracasa stocks housewares as well, including a rainbow of taper candles and vintage candlesticks, perfect for warming up long winter nights.
Rosie General
39 Broadway, Kingston
Rosie General. Courtesy Rosie General.
Located on a busy corner in Kingston’s historic waterfront district, Rosie General is a family labor of love. It’s shepherded by the Sasso siblings and named after their mom Rosie. What they’ve created is a beautiful eatery and shop that mixes things up in the most delicious way. “I got inspired after a cross-country road trip in 2019,” explains Anthony Sasso (the chef and baker), “seeing what general stores offered and how they tied the communities together.”
Rosie General. Courtesy Rosie General.
Open since May 2022, Rosie General invites guests to grab a seat at the curved marble bar and have a classic Reuben or one of their freestyle menu items—avocado bialy, roasted mushroom toast, or perhaps olive oil citrus cake. Elsewhere in the airy, tin-ceilinged space, you’ll find a head-spinning array of packaged and prepared items (the same as the kitchen uses), where triple-cream Camembert, marinated white beans, chimichurri sauce, homemade pickles, and scallion ash await. Of that ash, Anthony says, “Everybody loses their heads over it! It’s burnt scallions mashed into a paste with some oil and salt.”
Rosie General. Courtesy Rosie General.
Don’t bother calling to check their hours, as Rosie General proudly states: “No phone. Old-school eat-in or to-go only. We put everything into this historic space and want to enjoy it in person with you!”
Tivoli General
54 Broadway, Tivoli
In just 500 square feet, Andrea Shilling and Cameron Price have created a café and provisions shop worth traveling to. For starters, the couple knows a thing or two about great coffee: They owned cafés in Australia before heading stateside circa 2021 and reinventing Tivoli General in 2022.
Breakfast is always popular (they run through 20 dozen eggs a week), and their sandwiches are straight-up addictive, as anyone who’s had their smashed dolmas (stuffed grape leaves) on focaccia can attest. The cold case is stocked with locally sourced eggs, bread, beer, and meat, plus such delights as a spiced chickpea salad. While it’s a charming spot to sit at the communal table and sip a latte, it’s also a smart pitstop for pantry staples and the owners’ beloved Japanese items. Ramen, panda-shaped cookies, sodas, and condiments have pride of place.
Tivoli General. Photo by Catskill Image.
On occasion, Tivoli General is open late on Fridays and Saturdays for drinks and light bites. Yes, the space may be petite, but it plays a big role in the life of the increasingly popular hamlet—which, after all, is what makes a general store tick.
Related: The Pamplemousse Project Serves Coffee With a Purpose in White Plains
