The hungry lunchtime crowd shuffled into Carriss’s Grocery in rural Shelby County, ready to savor the day’s special: hand-breaded or fried pork chops, mashed potatoes with gravy, and baked apples or broccoli casserole.
For those who wanted, store manager Vivian Lisby threw in a generous piece of cornbread for the $12.99 meal. When she saw a customer’s plate empty, she asked if the diner would like a slice of homemade carrot cake for dessert.
Patrons left full and satisfied. Regulars such as Ernest Lisby, Preston Hall and Jim Evans grabbed their own drink refills from the ice cooler and paid June Lisby on their way out. June is Vivian’s husband, the store’s cashier and a cook.
Ernest Lisby, who lives in the Southville community and is a distant cousin of Vivian and June, said he has eaten at Carriss’s “all my life. I eat here a lot. The special changes every day.”
Aside from the food, Shelby County resident Hall said he “enjoys all the people.”
“I just do not like to cook. I am a bachelor,” added Evans, of nearby Mount Eden. “I have been eating here two or three times a week for about five years. You just can’t beat country cooking.”
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Such scenes occur regularly in traditional country grocery stores across Kentucky. Some serve hearty meals such as Carriss’s, while others offer food items such as fully dressed bologna sandwiches and soda that customers can flavor with a bag of peanuts.
These havens of good food, conversation and provisions ranging from groceries and household products to plumbing fixtures and baseball cards serve as rural community hubs. They often have front porches for gathering, sometimes known as “the liar’s bench.” Folks can sit and chat, spread gossip and tell highly exaggerated stories.
The stores played an important role in the history of rural America.
Emerging in the 18th and 19th centuries, they were located at crossroads or near post offices, making them accessible to farmers and small-town residents for vital sales and social gathering spots.
The oldest country store in America continuously operated by the same family is Penn’s Store, located at 257 Penn’s Store Road near Gravel Switch in the southwest corner of Boyle County. The building has been a store site since 1845 and has remained in the Penn family since 1850. It is famous for thick-cut fried bologna sandwiches. (Rabbit Hash General Store near Burlington in Boone County opened in 1831. It sells packaged snacks and cold drinks along with select grocery staples, but it does not prepare hot meals.)
Country stores have dwindled in recent decades with urbanization and large retail supermarkets, but dozens remain in rural areas of the state and are of utmost importance to their communities.
Here is a closer look at three of them.
Carriss’s Grocery Store
The Lisbys have operated the historical family-owned country store for more than 20 years. Vivian’s parents, Jay and Bessie Mae Carriss, began running it in 1978 as a deli. Jay died of a heart attack in January 2023 during a store robbery that shook the community. The Lisbys rent the building from Patricia Skelton. It was formerly known as Skelton Grocery.
“I’ve been in this store for a long time,” said Vivian during a break after the lunch rush. She said she has seen a photo of the building from 1905 and guesses it was built in the late 1800s.
Customers go up four stone steps to get to the front door. Once inside, they discover the fragrances from the cooking area at the back of the store.
The interior offers a view from the past—weathered hardwood floors, shelves stocked with hardware goods, a potbellied stove and a church pew with a rock larger than a football on it. The rock looks like a human skull and is a conversation piece among the customers.
“A guy came in one day and had the rock in the back of his car,” June said. “He sold it to me for $20, said he found it around Mammoth Cave. I have been offered $150 for it, but my kids do not want me to sell it.”
A workday at the store starts at 7 a.m.
“Lunch time is the busiest for us,” Vivian said. “But we also get a good crowd for Saturday morning breakfast.
“My favorite thing is seeing all the people that come here.”
Vivian said she planned to retire at 70, but now that she’s approaching that age, she might work for a few more years. The Lisbys’ son, Brock, has always said he would take over the restaurant someday, she said.
“People around here have told us they would miss it if we weren’t here,” Vivian said.
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Green River Hill Grocery
It has been a tough year for the Hart County store, which has been open for 75 years. Tony and Rachelle Wright bought the business from a family member in December 2024 and loved cooking and running it.
But Tony died unexpectedly on July 13 of a blood clot in a lung artery, possibly arising from a bump by a cow a few days earlier. He was 56.
The Wrights were farm kids who dated after high school and got married on New Year’s Day 1989. They had three children and operated a mobile kitchen while farming.
Tony worked at the grocery store when he was 14. “He was the happiest when working,” said Rachelle.
The store closed for a few weeks after Tony’s death, its future uncertain. But the family reopened it in August. Daughter Dara and son Wayne run the business now. “I’m in and out and still involved somewhat,” Rachelle said. “I am their greatest cheerleader.”
The Wrights take pride in their “comfort food.” Recent additions to the menu include chicken quarters and catfish.
The store seats 14 diners. Customers can buy basic grocery items, such as bread, fresh meat, flour, canned goods and SKI, a regional soft drink in Western Kentucky with a citrusy flavor.
“We want to keep alive the authenticity of the era of the country store,” Rachelle said. “I think Green River Hill’s future is in good hands. Everyone is welcome.”
Newby Country Store
Brad and Ashlie Hatton bought the Madison County building that houses Newby Country Store “right before” the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Built in 1891, the building always has been a store. It also served as a post office for several years.
“We bought it to save the building. It is a true country store,” Ashlie said.
The Hattons are the 11th owners of Newby Country Store. “It has become our heart and soul,” Ashlie said.
The business offers specialty grocery items, deli sandwiches, apparel, vintage candy, premium meats by the pound and more than 80 flavors of soda in glass bottles.
Local art, unique gifts and custom boxes also are available. “If we don’t have it, we’ll try to find it for you,” Ashlie said.
Most important are the people who frequent the store. “It was amazing to see how neighbor helped neighbor in the floods this year,” she said. “It’s like Mayberry. If you do not know somebody, it will not take long to know them, and you have got a friend forever.”
More to explore...
Stull’s Country Store
Payneville (Meade County)
In operation since the turn of the 20th century, Stull’s provides food and groceries. A member of the Stull family has owned it since 1972. Its front porch offers rocking chairs and a checkerboard. The food selection is highlighted by pulled-pork barbecue and pork tenderloin sandwiches.
The Store
Preston (Bath County)
Formerly known as Blevins Grocery, The Store has served the area since 1927. It offers homemade sandwiches and sells products ranging from propane to animal feed. It has a hitching post for Amish customers to secure their horses.
Lenoxburg Store and Café
Foster (Bracken County)
This business has been a fixture in the community since the late 1930s. It has tried to keep alive the traditions of an old-time country store and café and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Hunley’s Grocery
Edmonton (Metcalfe County)
Hunley’s Grocery has served Metcalfe and Barren counties since 1940. Its major food item is bologna sandwiches. The store says it can cut the meat thin or thick or, if customers prefer, they can purchase the bologna by the roll.
The Hitching Post and Old Country Store
Hardin (Marshall County)
This local landmark has been in business 85 years. It sells about 200 varieties of classic glass-bottled sodas, fresh fudge, homemade ice cream, candies and unique souvenirs. It often hosts fun gatherings, such as the weekly “Sunday Soda Showdown” to determine the best soda among 20 selections.
Watson’s Store
Plummer’s Mill (Fleming County)
The Fleming County fixture has been run by the same family since it opened in 1950. It serves deli sandwiches and Ale-8-One, a regional ginger and citrus-blended soft drink bottled in Winchester.