Sadness all around as Country Store says it will close

CORNWALL — The owners of the Berkshire Country Store have announced they will close their business on Dec. 15.

The news was a surprise to area residents who have watched Ryan Craig and Natasha Travieso re-establish the local grocery and deli and work diligently to make improvements to the shop. They have reached out to make connections to the community as well. 

It didn’t take long after their January 2014 opening for the shop to become the go-to place for coffee, pizza, ice cream and other locally sourced and prepared edibles. 

They started a website devoted mainly to getting the word out on community happenings and their Facebook page has became a place to find great stories, lost dog posts and photos of classic cars parked by the gas pumps.

On Aug. 12, they posted an announcement on Facebook that said, “Having been unsuccessful in our efforts to reach an agreement with the property owner that will allow us to successfully continue operating here, we will be closing our doors at this location as of December 15th of this year. We are actively looking at an alternative location for which to continue business, and will certainly keep you updated with our progress here as it is available. Please stay tuned!”

In response to an immediate response from customers, they acknowledged the support but asked that negative comments not be posted, and asked everyone to keep a positive outlook. 

Craig told The Lakeville Journal that the business is successful, but he is looking to make adjustments that will justify his 60 to 70 hours per week, and allow him to pay his eight employees more than minimum wage. 

He is looking in and around Cornwall for a new location, but is also hopeful things can be worked out where they are. 

“I’m very optimistic about the business continuing here in Cornwall,” he said, “but people have also said they would follow us to a neighboring town. So many people have been stopping in and offering their support.

“At the end of the day, Berkshire Country Store is here because of the people, and a house doesn’t make a home. I have to make some changes, and no matter what they are, it’s better to do them sooner than later.”

Craig said he continues to admire and respect property owners Walter and Joann Dethier, who taught him everything he knows about running the business.

Walter Dethier confirmed the failed negotiations and offered specific numbers about the business operation, as a means of giving his perspective on the issue. 

To sum it up, Dethier said he spent a lot of money on capital improvements to the property prior to and since Craig took over. He said he still has every confidence in him and has watched him turn a profit from day one. He said that during negotiations over a two-year lease renewal, he and his wife offered concessions that included significant reductions in the monthly rent and a predetermined purchase price.

It is all bittersweet for the Dethiers, who remember the days of turning a dirty old repair garage into the store they ran for 14 years. They remember the day a teenage Craig rode up on his bicycle and asked for a job, and how he left for college five years later, saying that one day he would be back to buy the place.

“I was not surprised when he did,” Dethier said. “While he worked for us, he was willing to learn everything Joann could teach him. And when he opened the place, it was with her menus and recipes.”

Dethier, who lives in Warren but made strong connections here while at the store, said he expects bitterness over the closing of what is more than a convenience store for local folks, but they have to do what they have to do at this point in their lives. 

Since they retired from the business, they have had two prior tenants come and go. 

“We would love to see someone continue to run a successful, much-needed business there, but frankly, it’s just not something we can continue to deal with,” Dethier said. “The building is paid for and we are listing the building for sale, the sign’s going up today [Aug. 14], without an offer to lease it.”

The asking price is $595,000.

Craig said buying it is an option for him, but he is concerned about issues such as the residential zoning there. A proposal to change it to commercial by a prior tenant was denied at a town meeting, after sparking a debate over potential other uses of the 5-acre property on the corner of route 4, 128 and 43. 

The store operates under a variance that limits things like food service and the number of dining tables.

Craig promised to post updates at their Facebook page and at www.672berk.com.