Berkshire Country Store to Launch “Norfolk Store 24”

By Doug McDevitt

We all enjoy convenience. While fishing the Housatonic River for many years, one of my convenient stops afterward was at a little corner store in Cornwall where I could enjoy a hot beverage or sandwich. It was warm and quaint inside and finished my day off with a smile. Norfolk’s Berkshire Country Store offers the same warm and inviting atmosphere plus the aroma of hot meals and the chatter of friendly conversations. In 2016, Ryan Craig moved his store from Cornwall to Norfolk with a vision of adding new ideas and vibrancy to Norfolk and a commitment to work together with the community to offer the convenience that was missing in the center of town. 

One of Craig’s innovative ideas is the “Norfolk Store 24,” a convenient 24-hour store-within-a-store. To offset the post-summer reduction in operating hours—the store now closes at 3 p.m. on weekdays—Craig is reopening the former Night Pantry. There is an initial enrollment fee (waived for existing Night Pantry members) and a small monthly charge. In return, cardholders will have access to expanded dairy, frozen and dry goods offerings around the clock, plus hot and cold beverages. Applications for Norfolk Store 24 can be obtained at the cash register. 

Craig said that he is committed to helping the community in any way he can. In June the Berkshire Country Store initiated online ordering to expedite service for those pressed for time, and he  has recently implemented a Community Inventory Sponsorship program to provide customers with special-request items that he does not normally carry. Through this program, a customer can sponsor a particular item by committing to buy it on a regular basis. It will then be stocked in the store with their name on it as the sponsor. Craig also has a small literary section in the store called the Book Nook, and he will even install cell phone screen covers for his customers. In late September, the store started offering electric bikes for rental by the hour. Craig certainly stands by the motto on his exterior wall, “What You Want, What You Need.”

One inviting role for the store is to be a gathering place not just for individuals but for town clubs and organizations. With several long wooden tables, the space is ideal for meetings and gatherings as well offering a place to work, read and enjoy something from the Berkshire Country Store’s main attraction, its deli.

The deli, whose menu is a balance between the classics and the adventurous, offers unusual and whimsically named dishes such as the Honey Moo Moo, Wild West, Sappy Chicken, Beauty and the Beef and much more, along with more classical fare. Craig and the staff pride themselves on their deli, which is the core of their business. Weekly specials and the occasional new offerings are there to entice every customer.

Craig does have some challenges to meet. The start of the new school year saw the departure of a number of staff members, which has created some openings. This is ideal for those looking for after-school employment. And Connecticut’s decision to inaugurate a gradual increase in the minimum wage over the next few years will increase his payroll costs, which complicates Craig’s financial outlook.

But if you stop in and say hello, you’ll find an eclectic emporium full of friendly faces, tasty culinary offerings and the chance to visit with other members of the community. And there’s always the draw of finding out what wild idea, what useful service, Ryan Craig is launching next.

Photo, top, of Berkshire Country Store owner Ryan Craig with his new fleet of electric bicycles, by Wiley Wood