As the General Store building’s owner announced plans to sell the building and not renew the General Store’s lease that expires in July, 2027, the future for this town beacon is up in the air. In interviews on Saturday and Monday mornings, many of its regular patrons expressed their love for the store and their worry for its uncertain future.
For years, the General Store has served as a community meeting spot, where people drop in after walking their dogs or riding their bicycles, work remotely, or just stop in for groceries or a bite to eat.
Marijke and Patrick Vallaeys of South Shaker Road go to the General Store for a chocolate croissant and a muffin or a scone every Saturday morning after their trip to the Transfer Station, and if there is chocolate cake, they take a slice home. They look to see if there is any Johnny Putt lettuce. T-shirts are a must when they have Belgian visitors, and when Marijke’s brother came this summer, he loved the beer.
“Losing the General Store would mean losing a piece of what makes Harvard special,” the Vallaeyses said. “It’s more than just a building—it’s the heart of our community, a gathering place that connects us all. In these uncertain times, keeping this place is essential for maintaining a sense of stability and happiness.”
Bicyclists’ oasis
For nearly 20 years, one bike club, The McGregors, with members from Weston, Newton, and Waltham, has been strategizing rides to stop at the store, one member, Adam Shyeeitch, said. Another cyclist, Christian Cortes, from Bolton, said he will stop for a coffee and breakfast on most Saturdays and will often chat with the other riders during his stop.
Cyclists from Lincoln and Quincy, Tom Morly and Jeff Larimer, said they have been biking to the store to get coffee and scones every Saturday during the summer for almost 10 years. They said they would be “devastated” if anything were to change in their Saturday morning routine.
“It’s like an oasis,” said Frank Gardner, a cyclist from Bedford. “You always feel really good when you’re here, and there’s always other cyclists. I often see someone I know here. … It’s pretty special.”
Store Manager Kelsey Garner said the General Store is a place for the community, whether that’s a high school student’s first job, a safe space for kids to walk to after school half-days, or a place for making friends, open mic nights, and art shows.
“We thrive off of the community and our regulars,” Garner said. She added that many residents come often, and there are town residents who come every day.
Ethan Gengler.
Ethan Gengler, store barista, said the people really are what make the store so great for him. He said the store has built a great environment in the center of town for people to come in every day and interact with each other.
‘A perfect place’
Along with the many cyclists and regulars who frequent the store, many people just passing by for the first time stop in as well. People come in while visiting family from out of state, or just on their way through town. Cortes said many people who come near town stop by the store, because it’s “a perfect place.”
Richard and Shirley Palmer, an older couple from West Concord, discovered the General Store during the pandemic and liked it so much, they now come almost every day. They said they’ve met a lot of nice, friendly people, some out-of-towners like them. One man they saw often, and they finally introduced themselves to each other, only to find out he now lived in Waltham but had gone to the same school in Concord that Shirley had.
“It’s like a gathering place you’d find in Maine,” said Richard. “We would be heartbroken if it closed. We’d find another place, but it would never be the same.”
Michael Ornek.
A ‘heartbeat’ of the town
Michael Ornek, a Harvard resident who grew up with the store, said it is one of “the heartbeats” of the town, as it is one of the few businesses in the town and because of its central location. Ornek said he hopes the building will be sold to people who have similar intentions and values, but he said he is very concerned about the sale.
One Harvard resident, Rochelle Greayer, said she usually comes to the store two times a week, said she has lived in town long enough to see different ownership of the building a couple of times, so she is not too worried about the General Store going anywhere.
However, others hope this will be an opportunity for residents to have their input into what the town needs. Karthik Pandian, who frequently does remote work in the store, said he has been thinking for a while about what sorts of institutions Harvard would want in the middle of its town. Pandian said while in Berlin, he noticed that there is a community center in the middle of town and was thinking about what kinds of cultural and social needs a community center could fulfill, rather than a commercial business.
“While it’s kind of scary to think that the future of the General is insecure, it feels like a pretty rich moment to reflect on what we need,” Pandian said.
Marley Smith is a student intern at the Press. She attends Northwestern University.
Carlene Phillips contributed to this article.
