RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — On a winding road just outside Richmond sits one of the only true country stores left in Kentucky.
Whether customers are passing time on the porch or stopping by to pick up lunch, the store is a place where it's easy to make a friend.
"We have our locals, we have seven or eight locals that come in all the time, some daily, so they're kind of the staple," said co-owner Ashlie Hatton. "They're the ones that, you know, make everybody feel welcome and no matter what, they find something to talk about."
Hatton bought the store five years ago, just before the start of the pandemic.
"It's a historic building. It was built in 1891, and if it would have closed, it would have never reopened," she said.
Luckily, that didn't happen, although there are challenges to running a store in a 134-year-old building. For example, there's no indoor plumbing.
But customers and employees say that's just part of the charm.
"I grew up in eastern Kentucky, and we had so many little country stores all over the place," said employee Melanie Roden. "The little gas pumps outside, it reminded me of home."
These days, unique grocery items sourced from Kentucky and beyond line each shelf. Glass bottles of specialty sodas also line the walls, like Double Cola and Ski. Many of the drinks were available when George Bogie's dad was a regular at the store.
He's kept a family tradition going, bringing some of his employees and grandchildren here each summer for bologna sandwiches.
"So when I did pay my bill about three weeks ago, it was $500 and something dollars," Bogie said.
"You start to know, you know what sandwiches they want, and I'll name their sandwiches like, yep, that's what I want, you know? You develop relationships like that," said Roden.
The loyal group of customers has seen plenty of changes throughout the years. The building has served as a post office, a general store, and even a fabric shop for this rural community.
Now it's a gathering place for friends both old and new.
"I really think it's just the place that's just, kind of home," Hatton said.
Roden feels the same.
"You come out here, and I feel like your soul just takes a good breath in," she said.
Newby Country Store is located at 435 Newby Road Richmond, KY 40475. It's open seven days a week from 10 to 4.
