Original General Store will soon serve beer and wine

By Brett Yates

Seven days a week, the Original General Store in Pittsfield serves hot breakfasts, sandwiches, soups, and pizzas. It also sells beer and wine, but not to its dine-in customers.

That’ll soon change. Last Thursday, June 15, co-owner Katie Stiles appeared before the Pittsfield Select Board with an application for what the Vermont Division of Liquor Control calls a First Class License, which permits bars and eateries to sell wine and beer for on-premises consumption.

At the same address, Stiles and her husband also operate a seasonal fine-dining restaurant called the Backroom, which already has a First Class License. But until now, the Original General Store, a separate business, has made do with a Second Class License for takeaway sales only.

The Original General Store stays open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays, but usually it closes at 4. With beer and wine on the menu, it could eventually become a dinner destination of its own.

“The goal is, we’re trying to build additional revenue streams, so we can support additional staff, so we can support additional hours,” Stiles said.

Things may not change much immediately, but staff will have to abide by a few new rules to keep the two categories of beverage sales separate.

“You have to have a server,” Stiles noted. “It has to be a designated area that’s kind of cordoned off.”

The selection behind the counter will differ, too. “It has to be a different product than we actually sell in the store,” she said.

That’ll mean more variety for customers. According to Stiles, some wine merchants don’t authorize retailers to buy their products, reserving them for restaurants. With a First Class License, the Original General Store will qualify as the latter.

The board approved the application, which now awaits the state’s review.