Rachel GrecoLansing State Journal
EUREKA — Pieces of the past have a way of finding their way to Home Town General Store, where even one of the owners has returned to his roots.
Inside the 137-year-old, two-story building in the unincorporated community of less than 250 people, you'll find a popcorn machine from a St. Johns movie theater that closed 30 years ago, the original license for what was Eureka's only hospital, and copies of aging newspapers and photographs from the area.
Local history is welcome and cared for at the store, according to owners Ken Riley, a Eureka native, and Scott Biggs. When they bought the North Welling Road property five years ago, they renovated and restored it in a way that honors its beginnings as a general store in the late 1800s.
The store carries basics, including tins of Spam, large jugs of vinegar and cans of soup, along with Michigan-made snacks, beer and wine, milk, ice cream, and beef from nearby farms. Customers can also pick up sandwiches and pizza made in-house.
In the summer, Riley and Biggs fill the lawn outside the business with colorful flower baskets, and decorative wooden trains and benches made in Amish communities near Sparta and Big Rapids. In the fall, they sell mums and pumpkins.
Customers can find nostalgic candy bars, including Mallo Cups and Charleston Chew bars — inexpensive treats and toys for its youngest customers — and Riley and Biggs keep items their regulars ask for in stock.
Riley said anything goes when it comes to inventory but "the weirder, the better." That includes carrying candy bars from the United Kingdom.
Restoring a community mainstay
Riley worked at the store in the 1980s, back when everyone called it "Schade's Mall," a nod to the then-party store's owner, Jerry Schade. Owning and restoring the store was a longtime dream of Riley's.
"We'd drive by this and I'd say for the last eight years, 'We should buy that and turn it back into a store," Riley said. Then a friend mentioned seeing a listing for the property on Craigslist. It was for sale for $10,000.
Riley and Biggs bought it that week.
It took a year and a half and about $100,000 to bring Home Town General Store to fruition. Most of the work happened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was perfect timing because we weren't in a hurry to open it," Biggs said.
The bones of the building were solid, but it needed a brand-new septic system and electrical upgrades. They recycled and reused as many things as they could in remaking the interior, Biggs said.
"I want to say 98% of what you see in here came from Facebook marketplace," he said. "We really did try to keep it true to the roots of a general store."
The store's checkout counter came from a woman in Gaylord who owned a greenhouse: "All completely handmade tongue and groove boards, with wooden logs that stick straight up," Biggs said. "Her husband built the whole thing by hand."
Home Town's shelves came from inside the library of a Lansing school: Once lined with books, now they hold canned goods, pantry staples and snacks.
"Ken put a lot of thought into everything that you see in here," Biggs said. "He utilizes absolutely every square inch of this floor. There's a ton of products in this little tiny space."
"We looked at a lot of general stores," Riley said, referring to the business, which he runs daily, as his "hobby shop," and takes pride in all the stories customers share with him about its past.
Those who don't share stories often bring Riley old postcards, calendars, articles or photos; he makes room for each one on the store's walls or shelves.
"I have so many people who bring me stuff," he said. "They think that it needs to come back here so it comes back."
'Don't go big. Go home. Go to Home Town General'
Riley and Biggs took their time perfecting their pizza recipe.
"It took us about a year to really fine-tune our toppings and whatnot," Biggs said. "We're not skimpy on our toppings and we don't use cheap ingredients. We cut up our own mushrooms, onions, and green peppers and we mix our own sauce."
They make and sell seven varieties, including a pickle and Philly cheese steak pizza. They're popular and sell to customers in Laingsburg, Perry, St. Johns and Lansing.
"On a really busy pizza night we can sell upwards of 40 pizzas," Biggs said.
Running the store is fun and challenging because Riley and Biggs are the only two employees.
"Our logo is, 'Don't go big. Go home. Go to Home Town General,'" Riley said.
About Home Town General Store
Where: 7906 N. Welling Road, at the corner of Maple Rapids Road and North Welling Road
What: A general store in a century-old building with pantry staples, dairy, frozen food, produce, beer and wine, snacks, candy, flowers and gifts. Pizza and sandwiches are also available.
Find them on Facebook: Search "Home Town General Store LLC"
This is the first in a series about "hidden gems" in Greater Lansing. Have a suggestion about which restaurant or retailer you think is best described as a hidden gem? Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com.Follow her on X @GrecoatLSJ .
