In the 1950s, the local grocer in Dansville was the Anderson Grocery on East Mason Road in the center of town. When the most recent business in that location closed a few years ago, the sons of the original owner thought it might be time to get it back in the family.
“They thought it would be a great idea to have it back in the family,” says Candace Hart, one of four sisters-in-law who own and operate the new Dansville Mercantile. “And there was no small grocery store in the area, so we needed to get the store back for the community.”
After significant renovations, the Dansville Mercantile opened with all the charm of the original store. Featuring antique fixtures, ten-cent candy jars, hand-dipped ice cream and a full-service deli, the new family business brings a sense of community right back to the center of Dansville.
“We’ve kind of tried to make it look like an old fashioned style store,” says Hart. “We have old chalkboard signs with our menu. We’re keeping to the whole county store theme.”
Dansville Mercantile opened in early 2011 and has recently expanded their offerings to include beer, wine and liquor sales. The grocery store currently employs six workers.
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