Belmont — The Belmont General Store is under new ownership and is aiming for a grand opening in July.
The couple closed the store about three weeks ago, said Alyssa Tilly, who co-runs the store with her fiancé, Michael Cronert.
Belmont is an unincorporated town within Mount Holly. Although Tilly grew up in Connecticut, she said her family has been coming to Belmont for the past 30 years to spend her summers and winters there.
She and Kronato will soon be moving here to live in an apartment attached to the Belmont General Store. They plan to get married at a church down the street.
“It will continue to be a general store,” Tilly said. “We have now obtained all licenses and applications and hope to open as soon as possible once everything is approved.”
The store closed about six months before the couple purchased from Kevin Newbert. The deli was full at the time, and she and her fiancé want to revive it, but will do so in stages. Tilly said she wants the building to be as energy efficient as possible when it opens.
“We’re going to be as efficient as possible at the beginning,” she said, adding, “We’re looking at solar panels as well as electricity. New shop owners want to get off to the right start.”
Tilly said she has some business experience, but nothing beats running a grocery store.
“This store holds a lot of memories for myself, my family, and the townspeople,” she said. “When it came up for sale, I definitely thought, ‘Okay, there’s a lot going on in my life, I’m getting married this summer, and I’m going to run a general store, ’ But it seems like a really fun adventure and a great way to give back to a community that has been closed for so long.”
Six months may not seem like a long time for a city to run out of grocery stores, she said, but people may eventually be unable to walk and buy things like a gallon of milk. , said.
“It felt like the city was different, so that was a big reason why I wanted to run a general store,” she said.
The store also functioned as a gathering place for local residents.
Tilly is the sister of Dan Tilly, owner of nearby Mount Holly Beer. She and her brother plan to collaborate on something this week once things get off the ground, but she said she doesn’t know what that will look like yet.
On Sunday, Tilly announced on the Belmont General Store’s Facebook page that she was the new owner. She also announced that there will be a meeting at the community center on Maple Hill Road on Thursday at 7 p.m. and that she would like to hear people’s thoughts on what they would like to see in the store. You can also visit thebelmontgeneralstore.com and complete the survey.
A Facebook user asked to know if the store sells fuel for snowmobiles in the winter. Another Facebook user said he misses getting milk and other daily necessities without going to Ludlow.
“I’m so happy you’re keeping the shop going!” wrote another Facebook user. “This is an institution that has been loved by my extended family for generations.”