-So we're rolling -into Greensboro here.

-If you just want to -look out the window.

-And, this tiny little town, -I mean, you -would really drive -through here in a heartbeat.

-You would never know -that these brands, -that Hill Farmstead, that -Jasper Hill cheese -are just tucked back here.

-And this is the Willy store.

-It's important -that we visit -a place like this because -people around -the world are enjoying Hill -Farmstead and Jasper Hill.

-But if you live right here -in Greensboro, -you need this.

-So let's go in there -and let's go talk to -Rob Hurst, he's the owner.

-He's in a fifth -generation family here, -owning -the Willys store.

-But here's my number one -question.

-Five generations, your -family's owned the store.

-I mean, what's -that feel like for you?

-Well, I mean, there's a -certain level of pride -that goes along with it.

-but also too, there's -a lot of ghosts, like, -not not like paranormal -ghosts.

-It's just that, -you know, growing up, -here and everything, -I was like that in my mind.

-You know, -I have -people coming in -in situations -where I've been in, -of course, working the floor -and everything else -like that.

-So there's a lot of memories -that always keep coming -back.

-And I kind of see -as like an overlay, -of everything of the way it -was, the way it used to be.

-you know, -and I get into arguments -a lot because, you know, -this is how -we always have done things, -and then nowadays -we're going to change it -because, well, -this is how -we're going to do it now.

-So it's like, -the balance of progress -and adaptation versus -history and tradition.

-So there's three stores.

-You have the main one -which you came in -where the registers are.

-Yeah.

-You have this building -which was the second one.

-Right.

-This is two buildings -in one that we're joined -that we're joined later on.

-But your family ended up -taking over.

Yes.

-All three.

-And you, -do you remember your -childhood memories of -running around this place?

-I guess.

-oh, yeah.

It's -small little things -with my mother, -hoot.

-All right.

So what is -what is this portion?

-So this is the old living -space, -where my great grandparents -and my great great -grandparents lived -originally when they were -right here.

Yep.

-So.

And we just turned it -into, clothing.

-You can see we still -use the built in furniture -and stuff.

Think.

Oh, yeah.

-Wow.

Once a closet.

-Always a closet.

Exactly.

-Yeah.

-Once again, -it's another time capsule -where you can see, -the original floor -of the original wallpaper.

-Oh.

Holy smokes, yeah.

-You know, it's been kept -in pretty much -the same pristine - -I mean, like, -if I am here and I, like, -delete out in my mind -all the shoeboxes, it does -look like a house.

Yep.

-So this is the room where -my grandmother was born, -right in here.

-Right in here?

Yep.

-Right here, this room.

-Your grandma was born here.

-Oh, God.

-That's wild.

-Oh.

Oh, wait wait, wait.

-We gotta take a quick stop -here.

Look at this.

-Yeah, look at this.

-We have the best selection -of Jasper Hill.

-There's a ton of things -you can't get in -any other store.

-They don't distribute -to anybody but us.

-we also have the best -pricing for all of it -as well, than you'll find -in any other store -in the whole country.

-In the country, -we have the best selection -and the best prices, -right?

-I mean, say cheese.

-Cheese!

-So we're driving -outside of Greensborough.

-I mean, we're about -two minutes outside of town -up here in this beautiful, -these hills, -you know, -And, I mean, it's -you leave town -and immediately -feel like you're -out in the sticks again.

-Which, you are.

-All right, so we are in -not more than a five minute -drive from downtown -Greensboro.

-This behind me -right here is the world -famous Jasper Hill Farm.

-This is where they make all -their award winning cheeses.

-I mean, these cheeses -win number one.

-Number -one cheese in the world.

-Served at the white House, -eaten by me -and by many others.

-Incredible cheese.

-And I will say that I never -knew that cheese could be -as good as it is until I had -Jasper Hill cheese.

-Now, if you live -in this community -and you work for Jasper -Hill, -or you enjoy the cheese -and you live in Greensboro, -you still need a place -to come.

-And I feel like -that is where Willys really -holds it down, locally.

-Something that -is crucial to understand -about general stores -like Willy's, is -how much money -they can keep circulating -within the local economy.

-For example, -this snug Valley farm, -which is just ten miles away -or so in East Hardwick -Willy's, can open -a whole new marketplace -for Snug Valley -so they can do what -they love, which is to raise -great animals, -to turn into meat.

-And then Willy's can provide -that to their customers.

-And I think -there is such -a deep emotional investment, -but also a financial -investment in a community -that's so crucial -to understand really.

-So, Christina, what's your -favorite part of the tour.

-Wow.

What's your favorite -brand?

-It's the deli.

-The deli.

Yeah.

Great.

-We don't have a manager -here.

-So I -kind of took over.

-well, as -manager stuff, I -also now -I'm working in a deli -and working with the -crew in here and it -have kind of fallen -in love with it and like, -so we have a little bit -of everything you've got, -kind of like -a lower price point, -which is like -the AG stuff we do.

-We also have like kind -of the medium price point, -which is like the stuff -that we were -cutting ourselves.

-And then we do get the local -meats and stuff like that.

-We've got Snug -Valley, Bartlett Farms, -all of those, -some of those people -actually used -to work here in the deli, -which is really fun to get -their product in here now.

-Yeah.

-we have -we just have to kind of -tow the line a little bit, -have something for everyone.

-Yeah.

-Going along with -the local theme, most -everything is within like, -three miles.

-So all of our local -beers are here.

-And of course, within close -distance is Hill Farmstead.

-and we are one -of their outlets.

-So we always end up -carrying certain offerings, -especially in these bottles.

-We are one of only, -you know, -a handful of places -that actually, -carry the Hill -Farmstead brand, so much -the same as Jasper Hill, -we're a destination -for beer as well as cheese.

-All right, -so not more than a three -minute -drive up from Jasper Hill -And we're really just -very, very close -to the edge of town -here in Greensboro.

-This is the -Hill Farmstead Brewing, -This guy, -this place is legendary.

-The guy, Shaun Hill, starts -his brewery, he wins -best brewer in the world -nine out of ten years -in a row.

-The 10th year -that he didn't win it, -he got second place.

-And that, you know, was -probably judges error.

-This place is -really incredible.

-People drive here -from all over the world.

-They journey here -to get beer.

-Now this beer is very, -very difficult to get.

-You can get it -distributed on kegs around -Vermont -in just a few locations.

-But if you actually want -to get bottles of Hill -Farmstead -it is extremely tough -to get outside -of their bottle shop here, -except at the -Willys store.

-This is truly -grandfathered, -I mean, it's it's great -great great grandfathered.

-Yes.

The only reason -technically -will be still operating -is because -it keeps getting handed down -and not a actual sale, -because -as soon as you sell it, -you lose all your grand- -grandfather rights.

-But that's it.

-Yeah.

It's actually a huge -problem, though, right?

-Because if you don't have -that generational -pass, then, like, -it becomes -prohibitively expensive -for the next generation -or the next generation -of ownership -to take over as well.

-I mean, yes, my -if my nieces took over, -they would be fine.

-but if I was to be -the last one -or I decide to say -I'm done right, you know, -no one's -going to buy this building -because -it's not viable as a - -But you know, -this is like a very crucial -and difficult thing, -which is that if, -you don't have the next, -like, familial generation -ready and willing and able -to take over the store, -and you have to pass it -on, getting a building -like this up to code -is insane.

It's a nightmare.

-This is -oil for instance.

-Oh, yeah.

-Old chimney, Yeah.

-Oh, sorry.

-What did I say about -not touching anything.

-I didn't think -there'd be ash in this.

-Actually, there -probably is I.

-There's soot in there.

-Yeah.

-I see, -I thought there was going -to be like a hidden message -from past generation.

-Maybe it's just hidden.

-Just don't touch that.

-What do you feel like?

-You don't have any more?

-I mean, I feel like there's -every everything imaginable -that I can imagine.

-A lot of the bigger stuff -we can't have.

-Like lumber.

-Lumber is a big thing -that we don't carry.

-So that's one of the -downsides of being so - -Yeah.

You have bricks?

-yeah.

-So we do have -some downstairs.

-We got, stove bricks.

-Do you have pet food?

-Yeah, pet food in is over -in that isle.

-One of the -things -that just surprises me -about the Willys store -is the sheer number of SKUs, -stock keeping units, -all these different items -they have here.

-And it's like -this store -has been here for so long -that there's just this -enormous -accumulation -of different products.

-And I think one of the -obvious challenges -of maintaining Willys store, -its momentum into -the future is -how do you modernize, -how do you keep track -of all that stuff?

-Now, here's -where you can see -the one, two and the three -different stores -with the space in between.

-Oh yeah.

So -which ones?

Which.

-So this is the original one.

-Yeah.

-And then -this is where we are now.

-And this is over -a little bit more -!where we were down underneath.

-Housewares up here.

-Oh beautiful.

-So I mean that's -a whole different feel.

-Oh yeah.

-This is like really history.

-This is serious history.

-George Aiken was -a Republican senator, U.S. -senator who was right before -Patrick Leahy.

-And the two of them together -were the longest serving -consecutive senators -in American history.

-It is no surprise that -the world is changing a lot -and very quickly, -but it's very easy -to think of online retail, -and that pressure is -just this idea.

-And so for me, -coming to a place like this -and really trying -to understand -what that feels like in -the flesh -is really important, -because for Rob and his team -here at Willy's, it's -the reality -of the challenge -of keeping the lights on -not just for themselves, -but for the entire -Greensboro community.

-And I think it's important -for us as consumers to just -acknowledge and understand.

-When you look forward to, -like the next 15, -20, 30 years.

-I mean, what does that look -like for you and Willy's?

-Probably the same amount.

-I think you'll find me -downstairs on my desk -if you don't find me -upstairs in the attic -or something of that sort.

-I mean, I always joke that, -you know, -I'm just going to die -somewhere in the story.

-And youll find -me eventually -Christina will -find me one day.

-but no, a lot of the same.

-I'm hoping, you know, -depending on how it goes.

-Yeah.

-The next 15 years will let -me know what, my succession -or my succession -plan is going to be.

Yeah.

-Whether or not -it's going to be, -one of my nieces -or cousins, -or if it's going to be, -you know, -I mean, I've set up like a, -like the Albany store -that they have, -like a town council -that runs it or something -like that.

Yeah.

-Somewhere along that.

-So I mean, that's -what I'm looking for.

-Clarity.

Yeah.

-So this is the Willys store.

-Whereas so many people know -Greensboro for Hill Farmstead -and Jasper -Hill and that global reach, -you cannot have a vibrant -community without an anchor -like the Willys store.

-This place has been here -for five generations -and hopefully will be here -for many more.

-And not just for legacy, -but for really the material, -meaningful health -of this community.

-Thank you all for joining me -here.

-I hope -you have the opportunity -to come -by and visit sometime.