New Orient Country Store Owners Live the Dream

For the last three months, newcomers Miriam Foster and Grayson Murphy have been working around the clock at the

They took over the historic Village Lane business on April 29, after owner Linton Duell decided to sell the store to them after 31 years in the business. Foster said Duell stuck around for a couple of weeks and helped them learn the business and introduce them to the Orient community.

The couple was living in Massachusetts before the move and had only been to Orient a few times before they decided to buy the store. Foster said they were looking for a change and thought the store was the right choice.

“This is one of the last places in America that is crime free and you can ride your bike anywhere,” she said.

Neither of the new owners had worked in retail before but Foster worked for a baker for two years and Murphy worked in a chocolate factory for a year. Murphy is also known to his friends and family as the “sandwich king” because of his love of creating new types of sandwiches.

 Foster said the couple initially intended to come to the store and change things immediately, which they quickly learned they could not do because “people are weary of change here.” They also learned more about what the people want and expect of this small town store.

They have made a few changes.  They have introduced new drink choices, sundries, sandwiches, and brought in a modern cash register. Foster is a baker and each day she makes cakes, pastries, bread pudding, and scones.  On the weekends, Foster said, she makes hundreds of scones and they sell out every time.

Foster said they are so busy she is frustrated they do not have time for projects. She said she would like to re-arrange the coffee area and figure out how to make better use of the limited space. Also on tap, will be adding more energy efficient beverage refrigerators and replacing the deli container.

But, Foster said, they do not plan on making any drastic changes to the store that is popular with the locals and tourists alike.

“We want to keep all the little touches. We’re going to keep it rustic,” she said.

She knows many of her customers come in to avoid making the trip to Greenport. So they plan on keeping many of the products the store has always carried and plan to keep the same feel Duell had for years. She said people often come in for a few things and they end up staying and talking for hours.

 “It’s a dream come true for us. We get to be our own bosses and run it the way we want to,” Foster said.

The Orient Country Store opens daily at 7:30 a.m. and stays open until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The store closes earlier on Sunday.