Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/14/2021
WILBRAHAM – The Village Store Cafe, located in the heart of Wilbraham at 462 Main St., is the latest incarnation of the Village Store – the oldest running business in town, operating since 1893.
“It’s a small local family-owned cafe that serves breakfast sandwiches, hot paninis, fresh salads, homemade pastries and desserts,” said Owner Frank Gencarelli. “People love our organic coffees, lattes, bubble tea, cappuccinos and espressos.”
Coming from the bigger city, Gencarelli and his family moved to Wilbraham five years ago looking for a small-town feel. With his culinary background and experience, Gencarelli's main goal was to bring the big city culinary level to the small town Village Store while continuing to provide customers that home town feel.
“Since I've been [in town], I’ve noticed many generation of families,” Gencarelli pointed out. “I’ve met parents, grandparents and grandchildren; people who’ve come back home and it’s always been a staple of theirs through town where you get up, meet your friends, hang out and have a nice cup of coffee.” He continued, “It gives them a sense of small-town appeal. The love and care that you don’t get in big cities. There are many people that have loved the place even before I’ve been there.”
Gencarelli told Reminder Publishing that the pandemic dramatically affected their business due to the fact that everything was shut down and people were afraid to go out. He noted that there were not any cars on the roads except for first responders, police officers, doctors and nurses. After being around the first responders and talking to them, Gencarelli decided to start a GoFundMe account where the cafe donated lunch packages to some of the ICU/ER units in the area: Baystate Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Shriner's Hospital and Cooley Dickinson Hospital. In addition, they donated to the police and fire departments in Hampden and Wilbraham, the Soldier’s Home in Holyoke and the Westfield Air Base. For every $400 that would come in, Gencarelli donated $100 and made 50 wraps or sandwiches along with trays of pasta salads, chips and cookies.
Right now, Gencarelli said the business is working on a new menu; adding new sandwiches and salads and revamping everything as the world starts getting back to normal.
“Now that the vaccines are out there and things started opening up, I feel that we've gotten through the hardest part of it,” Gencarelli concluded. “It’s only the light ahead for us and our community. We at Village Store Cafe want to thank everyone that supported us and to the first responders because they are the real heroes.”
Village Store Café is open Monday through Sunday from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, visit their website at villagestorecafe.com or call at 596-3300.