For 177 years, there’s been a store at the quiet crossroads in North Cohocton, NY.
Horse-drawn wagons have rolled past it, the railroad came and went, and generations of Finger Lakes kids have pressed their noses against its glass candy jars.
Now, the two sisters who brought it back to life are getting ready to say goodbye.
The Olde Country Store and More, a beloved general store just over four hours from Manhattan, went up for sale this year.
Its owners, Jenny and Denise Wells, are heading home to Germany, and it looks like they’ve found just the right people to keep the lights on.
A buyer, and a fortune cookie that called it
The sisters had given themselves until September 1 to find a buyer. If no one came through, the plan was a going-out-of-business sale, and the end of the road for the old store.
They made it, right on deadline day.
In an Instagram post on September 1, the owners shared that they had “officially signed a purchase agreement” with buyers, and that they “couldn’t be happier” because they believe it’s the right fit.
A deal with a buyer last year fell apart, and the sisters said this one explains why it didn’t work out.
The best part is how they told it. Back in April, after picking up Chinese food in nearby Naples and having dinner with their dad, one of them cracked open a fortune cookie that read: “You will be traveling and coming into a fortune.” They tucked it in a wallet, and just a couple of weeks later, someone approached them about buying the store.
The sale still has to officially close, so the sisters asked fans to wish them luck for a smooth closing process.
A store that’s been at the crossroads since 1849
There’s been a shop on this corner of Steuben County since 1849, back when a general store was where you picked up everything from flour to the latest town gossip.
The building that stands there today dates to 1873, with a white clapboard exterior, a wraparound porch and wooden floors that creak in all the right ways.
Inside, it feels like stepping into a time machine. Original counters and antique shelving line the walls, and rows of glass jars hold more than 350 kinds of candy, from saltwater taffy and licorice to handmade chocolates. Toss in vintage memorabilia, German glass ornaments and locally made goodies, and it’s easy to lose an afternoon in there.
The German sisters who brought it back
The store’s long run hasn’t been nonstop. It sat closed from 2008 until 2015, when Jenny and Denise Wells, two sisters originally from Germany, reopened it on the Fourth of July. Their dad, Jeff Wells, grew up in the area and helped them get it off the ground.
Over the next decade, they turned it into a destination, with a fully licensed kitchen and more than 12,000 Facebook followers.
“We came to the U.S. with nothing but hope, and this community gave us so much more than we ever expected,” the sisters said, according to WETM.
But after 11 years, home is calling. “We are homesick for Germany, and the time has come for us to go home,” they said.
What the new owners are getting
The sisters listed the store as a turnkey business, so the new owners can pretty much walk in and start selling candy on day one.
According to Life in the Finger Lakes, the deal includes:
- The historic 1873 building
- All inventory, equipment and fixtures
- The licensed kitchen
- Vendor and supplier lists
- One to two weeks of help from the sisters to learn the ropes
The price hasn’t been made public. The sale hasn’t been totally smooth, either: two offers fell through late in the process last year, The Hornell Sun reported. That’s what made this year’s deal such a relief.
Planning a visit
You’ll find the store at 2 University Avenue in North Cohocton, a few minutes from the lakeside village of Naples.
It’s an easy detour on a Finger Lakes road trip, especially with fall foliage still hanging on.
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