Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikey Cooke.
Hi Mikey, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My wife Jessica Cooke and I have had a brick and mortar women’s boutique in York for the last 3 years after several years online. We see the potential that this great city has to be a something special. After seeing the section of Congress street where Olde Town Mercantile is lay dormant for the majority of those 3 years, we decided someone had to make a move to help drive that end of town. I’ve thought an old general store in York would be such a great addition to the town with its rich history and small town charm but for us the timing needed to be right for it. After countless phone calls over several months to the number on a “For Rent” sign at our current location of 11 North Congress Street, the owner of the building finally answered to put the wheels in motion to open Olde Town Mercantile. We had no intentions of actually doing it. The phone calls to the owner were really us trying to reach out to potential businesses to help fill the several empty buildings in York but something felt right and we decided to move forward on our own especially after seeing the inside of the building first hand and learning about it. The building has been in place for 250 years. The shelving inside the store has been used for over 150 years dating all the way back to 1886 with Kennedy Brothers and Barron General Store. In the 1920s it became Boylins Department Store that competed with Belks for nearly 75 years. Those shelves have seen it all and from what we understand are original to the 1886 General Store. To us, that’s simply amazing and helped finalize our decision to move forward ourselves in being the one’s to take the risk of opening a new storefront on the stagnant end of town and an Old General store felt right. We wanted to bring back the old timey feel. Bringing in vintage candies and products that helped remind people of the simpler times while adding high quality modern products that our customers love. Mix that in with the antique decor on the walls, a wide selection turn of glass bottle sodas great customers service and old school country music playing in the background and Olde Town Mercantile was born. As we continue to find and add products of the past, we hope to bring some smiles and memories of the past to those that visit us.
We’re a family owned and operated business through and through. My wife and I have 2 young boys ages 10 and 13 that contribute daily to the operations and also have their own products and lines within the store that they invest in and manage.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly its been pretty smooth sailing getting up and running. We pushed hard to open start to finish in 3 weeks time to be here for the city of York for the holiday season and my wife Jessica has an eye for merchandising that made the process seamless.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We’re especially proud of the team that works along side of us not just at the Mercantile but also at The Blush BlossomBoutique just down the road. Myself, my wife and kids as a family are very community oriented and having the right team who’s values align with ours has been a God send. They provide top notch customer service and hold down the day to day that helps allow us to serve our community in other ways. They’re really the heart and soul of the whole process.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important thing we’ve learned along the way has to be that while we rely on the community to help us grow, the community relies on us just as much. Sponsorships, charity and giving back in exchange for our community’s support has come to fruition the last several months and we’re here for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopblushblossom.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16iiqjKdyT/
