If you have driven through the village on the main road, Highway 12, then you have probably seen the Community Square nestled between the Bluff Shoal Motel and the Down Creek Condos and Art Gallery. Among the shops in the Community Square is the Community Store. The Community Store has operated for many years as a grocery store but has been closed for the last two years. Since it has been closed many people ask if and when it will re-open. We finally have an answer to that question.

There have been a few attempts to re-open the store  but Susan and James Paul are finally doing it. The scheduled opening date is Thursday, May 1 at 6 am. Store hours will be 6 am to 9 pm, 7 days a week. Hours are subject to change with the seasons.

Susan is a former vacation specialist and blog writer for Ocracoke Island Realty. She still does property sales for the realty. Her husband, James, is a contractor and has built some beautiful houses on the island. I was lucky enough to get an inside look at the store when I went to interview Susan for this blog.

   

The first thing that I noticed was how much room there is in the building. I used to shop there for years before it closed so it wasn't my first visit but I never realized how big it was. Susan and James have rearranged and built new shelves and displays to blend with the ones that were already there. There is plenty of room for the goods and plenty of room to move around.


       

Their goal was to blend the old with the new. There is an old fashioned feel when you walk in and see the cheese cutting wheel, the old woodstove, the candy jars and the decor. There are also modern touches. There will be Starbucks brand Seattle's Best coffee, cappucino and fountain drinks. The store will stock most of the common staples (including fresh produce) along with specialty items such as Mexican food ingredients, organic foods and natural foods. There will also be toys, board games and Community Store souveniers. For the bargain hunter there will be weekly specials-Monday through Friday- for different items each week. The specials will be posted in the store.

      
 
A new service the Community Store will offer is grocery delivery. You will be able to place an order online or by phone or fax and have your groceries delivered. How handy is that? The website is still a work in progress but hopefully you will soon be able to visit www.ocracokescommunitystore.com and get an inside view of the new, old Community Store. Or better yet...stop by and say hello. Judging from the number of people who came up on the porch, jiggled the doorknobs and peered in the windows while we were doing the interview you will have plenty of company.

Good luck to you, Susan and James! We are happy that the Community Store doors will soon be open again with a fresh new look!