Deel announes Coal Creek General Store to close Jan. 31
The Coal Creek General Store has been open in downtown Rocky Top since Sept. 30, 2023. It will be closing on Jan. 31. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Deel, a Clinton-based real estate agent and auctioneer, cited “changing consumer habits” as the key reason for shutting down the business, at 331 S. Main St., the former site of the Lake City Auction House, in a building constructed in 1900.
He said earlier that he believes it’s the oldest building still standing in downtown Rocky Top.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the store said it would be holding a sale with 25% off the prices of everything in stock until the closing date.
“We’re grateful for the people of Rocky Top,” Deel told The Courier News. “The response online [to the closing announcement] has been overwhelming.
“But we’ve been in retail for a while, we’ve seen consumer habits change,” he said. “It made more sense to sit back and make a thoughtful decision to close, something we’ve been analyzing very carefully.
“We’re going to keep the building,” Deel said. “After that, we will look at options for the building. I would love to see that space continue to serve the community in some way. We’re very optimistic about what it’s going to look like, for sure.”
As for the experience of running an old-style general store, Deel said, “It was very fun.
“This isn’t goodbye to Rocky Top,” he added. “We’re just closing a chapter. We want to see Rocky Top continue to grow and succeed.”
The store had become something of a phenomenon in Rocky Top, with its mix of touristy and locally grown and produced products.
Before opening the business in 2023, Deel said, “The journey I’m on is to create something people can see as their general store; 80% percent of the products are going to be locally sourced, including homemade jams and jellies, honey, candy and fudge, and products made by local artisans.”
And, of course, there was the deli at the rear of the store, where the signature item was the Coal Miner’s Bologna Sandwich. There also was a grill out the back door where staff made hamburgers and other ready-to-eat food for customers.
“No country store could be authentic without a bologna sandwich,” Deel said at the time.
Deel and his wife, Natalie, opened the business on Sept. 30, 2023, and held a grand opening celebration the following weekend.
Customers browsed the many local and unusual items on the shelves, including varieties of sauces, bottled spices and rubs, honey, candy, and T-shirts.
Drawing a lot of attention – but few sales – were the packages of dried, spiced crickets. The half-ounce packs – with about 10 crickets each – were offered in three varieties, spiced with salt and vinegar, bacon and cheese, or sour cream and onion.
Manager Haley Jo Braden, who also posted about the impending closing on her personal Facebook page Monday, often could be seen staffing the register, and during busy times, there were as many as a dozen people in line waiting to check out their purchases.
The store was filled with old-style country store merchandise, including candies and vintage bottled soft drinks rarely seen these days, along with homemade fudge, freeze-dried candy, pet treats, Moon Pies, Coal Creek store T-shirts and mugs, candles, handcrafted items and more.
Deel said the store was meant to be a throwback to the Appalachian country stores of the past, using the original name of the town that is now known as Rocky Top.
Through Jan. 31, the store will be open from noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and noon-5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
The store also sells merchandise through its website, coalcreekgeneralstore.com/.
