Country store in North Sandwich reopens after unexpected hiatus

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cross northern New England, the once-common country store has become an endangered species. Residents of Sandwich feared the loss of the North Sandwich Store, when it abruptly closed at the end of last month, with only a hand-written note taped to the front door, declaring it “Closed for the holidays,” and that it would reopen on Jan. 4.

The unexpected closure, and lack of further explanation, spurred speculation and rumors, some of which held that the store was bankrupt and would stay closed, another claimed that the state Department of Health forced the closure.

Those fears proved unwarranted, though, when the North Sandwich Store reopened on Monday, and owner Mike Shattuck said he plans to continue operating the business for the foreseeable future.

“The rumors were nothing but character assassination,” Shattuck said on Monday morning. He closed for no other reason than, “business was sloughing off and I needed a break.”

Shattuck, a native of Springfield, Vermont, owns the store and runs it along with Lois Carmody, who owns the building. The two live on the second floor of the building, which also houses the North Sandwich Post Office. Shattuck went to college for engineering and also spent some time in the antiquing business. He said the North Sandwich Store dates back to at least 1917, when it was known as Ansel Lee’s General Store. He began running the store in 2006, and assumed ownership in 2008. He said he, “didn’t particularly want to, just needed to do something.”

His 2015 was “the worst I’ve ever seen it.” His bottom line is driven by people stopping in for lunch. “People don’t have any work in the area. We rely on the local contractors. If they aren’t working, business can be sometimes nonexistent.

The store is open for 60 hours each week. Shattuck doesn’t have any employees, and estimates he works about 80 hours each week. That’s what he expected, having prior work experience in general stores. Still, he wasn’t expecting the decline in sales he saw this year. “Maybe people should think about buying locally,” he said.

Earl Pearson, a resident of North Sandwich, was among those happy to see the store again open for business. To him, the North Sandwich Store represents a lot more than a convenient place for provisions.

“This store was closed over the holidays, and I was devastated,” said Pearson. He lives alone, and spends hours each day at the store. “I come here for an English [muffin] and a coffee,” several games of cribbage, and friendly ribbing from the other regulars. He said he’s recognized as “the best cribbage player in North Sandwich,” though George Abbott, another regular, said that’s true – if everyone else is out of town.

Pearson lives alone, and he said that for people like him, the North Sandwich Store provides him a source for daily socialization. “We all congregate here, and Mike puts up with us, God bless him. It’s a big part of our lives.

Sandwich used to have two country stores, but the Sandwich General Store, in Center Sandwich, closed several years ago.