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Oct 23, 2023

Lumberton General Store Reopens



This summer, the new owners of Lumberton General Store, husband and wife team Sam Ginn and Emma Buchanan, celebrated their almost 3-year journey to renovate and re-open the restaurant by serving its first customers since previous owners last closed the business back in 2015.


As a child, Emma remembers riding her bicycle from her home in New Burlington to Lumberton General Store with her sisters when her grandfather owned the business. While the restaurant looks different today, there are still gems from Emma’s childhood memories that others might remember as well, like the little red gum ball machine in the corner or the iconic yellow booths.


After college, Emma moved to California where she met Sam through a mutual friend. Emma was managing a barber shop, and Sam was working at a bar next door. While Emma had heard that Lumberton General Store was for sale, it wasn’t until the couple moved to Ohio, and into Emma’s grandfathers old farmhouse across the street, that they approached the idea of re-opening the restaurant with the new building owners, The Cabinet Gallery, who purchased the building from The Clinton County Land Bank simply to clean up the area around their business.


Emma and Sam refer to The Cabinet Gallery as their “guardian angles” who spent over 2-years renovating the building for them on just a handshake deal.


As with any new venture, there have been challenges, like getting an SBA Loan and finding distributors, but they have yielded results that Emma and Sam are thankful for now, like a business plan and relationships.


One of the things the couple is passionate about is having local ingredients in their menu items from local farmers. For instance, their biscuits and gravy have sausage from Walnut Ridge Acres and when customers walk into Lumberton General Store, they see a general store area with local eggs, meats, desserts, and Emma’s homemade popsicles.


The Lumberton General Store business model mimics restaurants Sam saw while in California, where customers order at the counter, but are then waited on at their seat (similar to local restaurants like Northstar in Columbus). Their drink menu includes espressos and specialty lattes, like Sam’s Ginger Cardamom and Black Walnut Maple creations. Their food menu currently includes breakfast and lunch items.


BREAKFAST

  • Biscuits & Gravy

  • Breakfast Horseshoe (meat topped biscuit)

  • Country Breakfast


LUNCH

  • Fried Chicken Sandwich with Coleslaw

  • Garage Grilled Cheese

  • Smash Burger

  • Club Sandwich

  • Green Garden Salad (optional meat)


While their “soft-launch” hours have been Tuesday–Saturday from 8am to 2pm, things are changing quickly as they get set into the swing of things and it is best to check their website at www.lumberton68.com.


 

Listen to our full interview on your favorite podcast player below:




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