Hastings Store is a quaint little family business, reminiscent of a time long past. I don't have the luxury of visiting the area as much as I used to. When my schedule does allow me to return to the Northeast, chances are I will make at least one trip to the store for something.
Ralph and Mabel were always a pleasure to see. Growing up, to visit the store was like visiting another set of grandparents. They were always there for a good story or conversation, helpful tip, and never without a smile when we'd stop in there to check the mail or pick up groceries. I'd never really had the chance to meet Gilbert and Jennie Hastings who originally bought the store, but I've heard wonderful things of them as well... It's understandable where Ralph got his love for his community.
It is sad how progress and the march of time tend to forget the "little guy". Over the years with the proliferation of big box stores, Hastings Store has managed to hang on despite the cost of goods and employee wages on the rise. Streamlining for profit and preservation has seen the quaint and quirky replaced by the practical, and in many cases (such as with Hastings), buildings are subdivided so that other business can share the space and help maintain expenses. Though the loss of Hastings Store's "rummage barn", later their gift shop, was sad to see... The Joe's Pond Craft Shop far surpasses anything that was there before, the selection by local artisans is impressive and those who run it are always pleasant.
Hastings Store's selection of baked good never get old... I'm not saying they have an endless (twinky-like) shelf life... The homemade baked beans, sandwiches, potato salad and old-fashioned donuts are so good they rarely make it as leftovers to the next meal. I have often wondered what their pricing strategy is, or where they source their ingredients, as they have decent prices that don't translate to paper if you break things down by ingredient/cost (I'm a mathematician as well as a cook and I'm always working with numbers).
As for their other stock, as many of their goods are bought on sale at Price Chopper, Shaw's, BJ's and Costco (look for store brand labels), I find that I can get a better bang for my buck at those aforementioned stores or by patronizing the local retailers who have their grocery stock delivered and not sourced from "big sale" days at the local supermarket.
I wonder what the long-term outlook for the business is though. When I was up visiting a couple of years ago, the heavy smell of cigarettes wafted out of the kitchen... Minding my own business, I picked up my groceries and when I went to pay, the proprietor came out from around the corner in the kitchen, setting a beer down behind a commercial stand mixer. I've had friends who have remarked (to the proprietor...in the moment) about the same thing, only to be told to mind their own business and invited to leave. Both the current owner and her father whom she bought the store from are quick and not bashful to criticize employees, family, or other patrons to customers they are chatting with.
I love the idea of the family store, and I love the memories that this store holds for me in my younger years. However I will take my business where I feel I am better served, and valued as a customer. read more
