After a year of being in business, we believe it's the perfect moment to share the Neighbors' story. Given the years of preparation leading up to this point, we want to provide some insight into the behind-the-scenes details that have been unfolding at Main Street Roasters over the past few years. Let's dive in!

The vision for this space began years earlier. The original owner of Martin Hardware, Dennis Martin, approached Marcus and asked if he had interest in the building when he made the decision to retire. At that time, we did not feel our team was at the point that we could manage another store, and we declined. The thought was in the back of our minds though, and often as Marcus roasted, he would stare across the street at the empty building and imagine a vibrant space, doors opening again, and specifically - rocking chairs on the front porch.

Fast forward eight years, we reached out to the mayor, Phil Jenkins, who encouraged us to give it a go. He put us in touch with several people, and we eventually acquired the building and began the process of a complete redesign. Many local contractors and businesses used their skills to make this dream come to life, and the project itself took three years to complete. 

Initially, we reached out to another local business owner, to see if they would be willing to replicate and manage a general store, and we would simply own the business. After a lack of interest, we moved forward with pursing the vision and managing the business as well.

One of the significant things to decide was the product lines to carry. The objective was to bring something to town that would captivate all of the community and out of town guests. For years before construction began, Marcus did research, found brands, and created a list of trusted products he planned to carry. The goal was to provide a local place to purchase items like camping chairs, cast iron, quality toys, last minute gifts, nostalgic candies, home goods, and hard to find gadgets and accessories. 

The name "Neighbors" was another idea that Marcus developed after a laundry list of concepts were considered for quite some time. We wanted something that signified that we were connected to Main Street, to the community, and that it belonged to everyone. Once we landed on this - all of the members of our family, our kids, and others weighing in - loved the idea. 

While we're still discovering which products and lines will stay and which ones aren't the right fit, a filter we use in selecting products is finding unique, quality items that are part of our daily lives. As an interesting side note, GCI® Brand chairs was our first brand we signed up to sell, and continues to be a top seller. We truly want to create a space that serves a purpose for our community, and provides affordable options so that everyone in the community can feel comfortable to shop here.

One of the main questions we are asked is "Why? Why did you start up this store if you've always been in the foodservice industry? What made you have an interest in this?"

Our answer to this question is simple. We love our town. Abandoned buildings, or former retail spaces that are empty is something that we want to see less of. We'll do our best to make a difference in our little corner- We hope you'll do what you can too! Whether that means following a dream, or supporting the local bakery, grocer, butcher shop, or coffee shop - there's a lot that's lost if we don't have our small towns to do life in. 

Thank you for your interest in, support of, and continued kindness towards our family, and team members! Without an amazing community like the one we have - Neighbors would never have been more than an idea. We're excited to see where this adventure takes us. 

The Millers