Joyful reopening: Teago store begins new chapter
At far left, Bob Crean chats with Teago General Store employees Randi Harron and Sue Cole, far right, at the store’s reopening on Saturday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
On Saturday, a lot of people in Pomfret, Vermont, had the same plan: Head over to the Teago General Store, which just opened up again after a year of renovations.
“We’ve had this on our agenda ever since they posted the day they’re reopening,” said Kate Overbay, who was enjoying breakfast with her family. Her 9-year-old son, Tripp, chimed in, “I’m just glad Teago’s open again.”
Among the early arrivals were Teago’s former owner Chuck Gundersen, and his wife, Alice, who live just up the road. Chuck owned the store for over 30 years before selling it to Kathleen Dolan in 2018, and he called the year-long revamp a “beautiful job,” adding that it’s still got that local charm.
“They managed to do it in a way that it still has some individual character,” he said. “Alice and I are going to be here a lot.”
At 7 a.m., the iconic Vermont store, which generations of local people and visitors have enjoyed, reopened to streams of eager customers who greeted the staff with beaming smiles and breakfast orders. Right in the door, a greatly expanded kitchen and plenty of additional square-footage are the first things noticed, along with the new deck offering outdoor seating by the brook. There’s now an ice cream window, and a new indoor seating area is near the back of the store. Breakfast, lunch and the Friday take-and-bake pizzas are still there — as are the Post Office and the newspapers.
Chuck Gundersen, left, catches up with Dick Beattie at Teago General Store on Saturday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
In a quick interview on a busy reopening day, store manager Christine Cole said the pent-up demand from customers was clear for a long time. When making preparations out front, they were putting new sod down and had sprinklers going.
“We had people walking through the sprinklers and asking, ‘Are you open?’” she recalled. Not surprisingly, some were waiting outside for the doors to open at 7 a.m. Saturday.
“Someone knocked on the door at five-of, and we had to say, ‘Just a few more minutes,’” said Amy Stone, also part of the Teago team. Along with Cole, the rest of the staff are Randi Harron and Sue Cole, Christine’s sister-in-law.
Christine Cole, who has worked at the store since the early 1990s, highlighted the added capabilities of the expanded kitchen and new systems throughout the store, right down to the new coolers. And she expected the deck would be a popular place for customers — several of whom took a seat there in between raindrops Saturday morning.
Cole also said she appreciated Dolan’s leadership and vision on the project.
“It’s great to have somebody like Kathleen bringing her thoughts and ideas to help with this new chapter,” Cole said.
The new deck at Teago General Store. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Dolan said seeing the store reopen was “enormously satisfying.” She thanked the store staff for their many hours of work in getting Teago ready.
“I have been in awe of Christine and Amy and the other Teago’s store crew as they worked steadily this past year, and particularly these past few months, putting the interior back together and getting the operation of the store up and running,” Dolan said. She also thanked Steve Horton and the entire DEW Construction team for bringing the project to fruition, and was grateful to town officials for their support.
“A general store, as a place for practical resources and community relating, is so vitally important to the life and heartbeat of a small town,” Dolan said. “I have Chuck Gundersen to thank for keeping Teago alive and well and in a way a general store needs to be for over 30 years before this time — and for the opportunity he gave me to carry the torch of a business that helps keep a community thriving, gathering and accommodated.”
As the community gathered to share smiles and friendly chats over coffee, part of the Saturday-morning buzz was, of course, cherished routines starting up again. Local resident Lisa Parsons was looking forward to walking down to the store with her dogs each day to grab her morning paper, just like she used to do.
“I can do my walk again now,” she said.
While departing the new Teago after his visit, Bob Crean expressed what many felt: “There’s nothing like having your own small-town store.”
— Gareth Henderson
Teago General Store’s hours are Monday-Saturday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The deli closes a half hour before the store. The phone number is 802-457-1626, and follow the Facebook page for daily specials.
Teago General Store on reopening day. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
