We have some delicious news to share with you, Greenville. Hester General Store — located at 1735 Hester Store Rd., Easley — will serve lunch beginning this Sunday, July 23.

What’s new?

The menu — which is a collaboration between Hester General Store Owner Katie Chaney and Executive Chef Taylor Montgomery (think: Urban Wren + The Bellwether) — features:

Sandwiches on house-made bread including Hester General Store favorites like pimento cheese and chicken salad.
Salads and soups made with produce sourced from Montgomery Sky Farm.
Boiled peanuts, a Southern delicacy.
Pie (of course) served by the slice and a-la-mode with Hester’s signature soft serve (it's vegan and gluten-free).
Ice cream floats with that same delicious soft serve.

Lunch will be served every day the store is open — Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — and the daily menu will be available online when it launches.

Plus, you can celebrate these new dishes at the Lunch Launch event on Sunday, July 23 featuring live music on the patio, sundaes with Sundae (everyone’s favorite baby goat), and a chance to meet Montgomery Sky Farm Owners Fran and Chef Taylor Montgomery.

The store

Owner Katie Chaney reopened the historic general store — which dates back to 1893 — in December 2022. She describes it is a “comforting place where people can come and rethink what tradition looks like.”

Here’s what you’ll find at the Dacusville staple:

The inside

Designed by local designer Everett King, the space — featuring much of the original general store — is popping with bold color, from the exterior red door to the red espresso machine.

Art by local artists — including wall paper by Dorothy Shain and Theresa Roche — fills every corner, inside and out. You’ll also find a new mural by Sunny Mullarkey that you can admire from the outdoor patio.

Pro tip: Don’t miss you chance for a selfie in this brightly colored bathroom, sweetie.

Upstairs is the HGS kitchen + classroom space. The store plans to offer classes on pie making basics (think: how to make pie dough) for 8-12 people and children.

At the counter

Coffee drinks will be made with a custom espresso blend created by Hester General Store and Methodical Coffee: Abuela’s Blend. The blend is a 100% Colombian blend, and honors the store’s Head of Culinary Operations, Claudia, her grandmothers, and owner Katie Chaney’s grandmother.

On the shelves + store floor

Opposite the counter you’ll find a variety of perishable and non-perishable goods like produce, milk, beef, and pork — all sourced locally out of the Upstate and the Southeast. Brands include Naked Pasta, Spicewalla, and Lowcountry Kettle Chips.

While we patiently await Katie’s iconic jumpsuits to be stocked, don’t miss the HGS merch including sweatshirts, mugs, and bandanas.

Picking up a pie for an occasion? Put a card with it. Greenville’s Ink Meets Paper has a wall full of cards for every celebration, from births to birthdays to just because.