Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 29 the village store for 61 years. It's not only the go-to place for year-round and summer residents in half a dozen surrounding towns, but also travelers on Route 27 to Sugarloaf, and other points north. e 200-year-old building underwent an interior overhaul, which was almost complete by early March, when they learned coolers from California were delayed. "We contemplated not opening until the coolers were set, and then the stay-at-home order was enacted," Oliver says. She, her husband Kerry and daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Kirt Furbush, felt the commu- nity needed the store. ey opened as planned, but with just curbside pickup "We knew we had to protect ourselves, because if one of us became sick we'd have to shut down," she says. Deliveries are into an adjacent garage, where they clean everything before shelving. ey wear masks and gloves and orders are placed on a table out front under a tent. "e first day we had a lot to learn, as did our customers," she says. ey updated their website and Facebook page for the pickup, with pictures of inventory. "We can tell by shopping lists that people are shopping directly from the photos," she says. Customers order by email, and when it's ready, the customer is called, pays on the phone, and a pickup time is set. Oliver says some aspect of the order-ahead model may stay. Before the pandemic, the manager of a set of camps contacted Day's, asking if grocer- ies could be pre-ordered and delivered to be there when residents arrived. "So, email grocery lists, personal shopping and packaging groceries may continue at some level," she says. Over the past couple of years, Day's added wine- tastings, live music and an indoor eating area. Oliver says they're also anxious to open up the ice cream window overlooking Long Pond. Belgrade Lakes Region is a popular tourist area, and Day's does 75% of its business between June 15 and Aug. 15, when the store is open 14 hours a day, seven days a week and the staff increases from half a dozen to as many as 25. Now, "We're open, but it's not business as usual." at will wait until they can operate safely, she says. "We're still very concerned about what the summer will or will not bring for business to the area, and for our fellow business owners." In the meantime, "Everyone is very flexible, patient and kind," she says. "We are very thankful for our community and happy that we can continue to be here for them." C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » We're open, but it's not business as usual We're still very concerned about what the summer will or will not bring. — Diane Oliver Day's Store, Belgrade Lakes

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