Berkshire Country Store is a year old

CORNWALL —  It’s a year later, and Ryan Craig has not lost an ounce of enthusiasm for his business and its place in the community.

Berkshire Country Store will celebrate one year at the end of this month. The little grocery and eatery has been on the corner of routes 4, 128 and 43 for decades, but Craig and partner Natasha Travieso have brought it to another level.

They like nothing better than when customers drop in for “the usual” or linger over the chess board or by the fireplace in the newly expanded lounge, with free WiFi. They have succeeded at being something for everyone, an approach that can easily be a pitfall.

“I listen to what people want,” said Craig, attempting to sum it up. “In the past year I’ve learned a lot, and most of what I’ve learned has been good.”

For instance, prepared foods become popular and then unpoplar, quickly. 

“Something will sell like crazy for a few months, and then, I guess people get tired of it, and something else becomes popular. You just try to stay ahead of it.”

But it is much more complex than that. There is no getting stuck in a rut here. Craig’s energy is funneled into regular reorganizing, often to accommodate new products or the wondrous, handcrafted items on consignment from Carter’s Trading Post in New Milford and local artisans. There are crocheted hats and vintage-looking signs, woodcarvings and colorful glass pieces. Most are artfully arrayed in the large backroom lounge. 

Shelves of groceries somehow do not seem out of place with the leather furniture and Bill Eggers’ antique motorcycle replicas.

Over in the deli, the owners are constantly tweaking the menu. Just weeks in, their pizza became so popular they’ve begun staying open until 7 p.m. to accommodate demand. They began scooping Hershey’s ice cream last summer. Travieso’s stepfather, Jeff Thomas, comes up from New Preston as needed to put another pot of his sought-after Poppy’s Chili on the stove to simmer. 

Recent introductions are an eggs benedict sandwich, waffles and pancakes. Like so many aspects of the business, they have fun with it.

“A stack of two pancakes is called The Natasha, because she’s a shorty,” Craig said. “Three pancakes is Ryan the Lion, because I stand tall. One is the Gianna [their daughter], because she is a wee little thing.”

And, of course, there is their slogan: “Great food … no gas.”

It began as a joke on their sign. During renovations prior to opening, Craig had the old underground fuel tanks removed. Reopening the gas pumps was a future option to consider. The decision is now a definite “no.”

There is no sense in making a capital investment in new pumps and tanks, only to inherit the problems that forced the closing of the pumps before. As an independent, they would pay higher wholesale prices and either have to pass that along to customers or earn little or no profit. Walter Dethier, who owns the property and ran a store there for quite awhile, kept his fuel prices so low that when customers used a credit card, the fee caused him to lose money.

What gets Craig, 31, up and to the store early each morning is the relationships.

“I remember faces from when I worked here as a kid, from when I was 15 to 19. There are people I thought I would never see again, and I’m getting to know them all again.”

Their “No Gas” T-shirts sell quickly. A new shirt (currently being redesigned) features an image of the Covered Bridge and asks, “Looking for a bridge? We’ve got you covered.” It is an homage to the oft-asked question at the store.

A new website takes their community connections to new places. At www.672berk.com (their phone number) one can find information about the store and their 5-star Yelp and Facebook ratings; the motorcycles; and a community page that offers a community calendar, a place to showcase local businesses and artists, a spot to post things to buy, sell or trade and a place to share stories about interesting community members. It was inspired by store regular Ira Friedman, and the very unique coin he has carried for 70 years.

Go there or the store’s Facebook page for hours, specials and upcoming details on their anniversary celebration Jan. 31.