There is love at first sight. And then there’s love at first bite. For Nick Embry, it may have been a combination of the two.
Since moving from Louisville around six years ago, Nick, now a chicken farmer, quickly fell in love with Stull’s Country Store in Andyville, Kentucky, a quaint store that offers food, fellowship and a fun trip down memory lane.
“He fell in love with the store,” Nick’s wife, Helena, said. “He stopped in multiple times a day, every day for about four years and told the previous owners to let him know when they were ready to sell it. Finally, one day she said, ‘OK.’ ”
When that time came, Nick and Helena contacted their bank, Meade County Bank, for the next step.
“They helped us with a plan – not just an immediate plan to purchase the store, but a future plan for renovations and how to also grow the business,” Helena said. “It’s been wonderful.”
The Embrys originally began banking with Meade County Bank because it was close to home. They enjoyed how hometown-focused and how familiar the bank was of the community and its families. Nick and Helena also liked Meade County Bank knew of Stull’s Country Store and its history.
“I grew up a quarter-of-a-mile down the road from Stull’s Grocery,” Meade County Bank President Matt Pike said. “I would ride my bicycle there almost daily to talk to Mike Hartley and get a Jones Soda. Before that, my grandmother would pick me up on her way to the store so I could push her cart while she shopped for groceries.”
The Embrys have largely kept the store the same, knowing this is what sold them on the store in the first place, and have looked to build upon that foundation.
“We have tried to do more with the food, offer more lunches,” Helena said. “We have a lot of farmers. Like I said, my husband came in here multiple times a day, every day. A lot of our customers are the same way. They’re farmers around here. This is where they go for lunch. It’s the only thing out here, so we try to switch up the menu.”
With March 29th being National Mom & Pop Business Owners Day, Meade County Bank wants to recognize Stull’s Country Store and say thank you to Nick and Helena Embry for their business. A relationship that began due, in part, to a shared love for fellowship and small-town values, has grown into what it is today.
“I knew the role Stull’s Country Store played in the Andyville community and Meade County in general,” Matt said. “Knowing it would take someone with the same passion to continue its success, I was so excited to hear Nick and Helena wanted to take on the challenge. Stull’s Country Store is in great hands, and I’m confident it will continue to fulfill the needs of the community for many years to come.”