Foscoe Country Corner: A Community Cornerstone Like No Other
Story by Sam Calhoun
Foscoe Country Corner is the place where everyone knows your name.
A bustle of regulars—construction workers, skiers, business owners and locals—flows in and out of the double glass doors. Smiles beam from faces behind the register; friends greet each other by name en route to the deli counter; there’s talk of politics and fishing, sons and daughters, old friends and new, the weather.
It’s hard to even talk to co-owner Billy Shoemaker as many patrons—his extended family, if you will—stop to say hello. On this Tuesday, Billy’s wife and co-owner of the all-purpose country store and gas station is home with a hurt neck—but not to worry, her doctor just walked in the door to eat and an appointment is set up almost immediately.
This atmosphere is unique—an almost bittersweet experience because stores like this one used to be so common in the High Country.
“Everybody knows everybody in here,” said Billy, 35, who has owned the Foscoe Country Corner since February 2, 2004, with his wife of two and a half years, Nicole. The couple has a two-year-old daughter, Jada.
The Foscoe Country Corner is truly a family affair. Even though Billy and Nicole have their life tied up in the thriving business—balancing parenthood with ownership—they both give the credit to their parents who helped finance the operation.
“All the credit goes to them,” said Billy. But it’s not just financial help that their parents provided—they work at the store too.
During the day, one of the first smiles that greets customers is from Betsy Shoemaker, Billy’s mother, who works behind the register. Betsy is 30-year veteran of Sears. In the kitchen, preparing orders and smoking meat, is Julian Greene, Nicole’s father. Billy calls Julian the “genius” and “master” because of his cooking abilities. Raised in a large family, Julian learned most of his skills from his mother.
“If he cooks it, it’s great,” said Billy. “He knows the secrets of good old mom cooking.”
Nicole’s mother, Teresa Greene, works in Lenoir for Broyhill Furniture, but travels up to Foscoe during the spring to help out with the fish and rib fry every Friday. Billy’s father, Bob Shoemaker, is retired but is always around to lend a hand when needed.
Other members of the family include Nicole’s brother Jacob Greene, who is a senior at South Caldwell High School and Billy’s twin sisters, Teri Shoemaker and Keri Wiley. Teri volunteers at Bare Bones Boutique and Keri lives in Kannapolis.
But it’s not just the immediate family that makes the Foscoe Country Corner, 8937 Highway 105 South, a family affair—it’s also the employees and the customers.
“We’re friends with everyone who comes through that door,” said Billy. “People who come in here feel at ease. We don’t care if you pull up in a Mercedes or an old, beat-up truck—that don’t matter. It’s about the people and the person.”
In addition to going out of the way to be everyone’s friend, Billy and Nicole have a team of dedicated employees that are all local and live within five miles of the store. The employees run the store as a community meeting place, getting to know the customers and offering their assistance in any way they can. Billy and Nicole treat these employees like family, altering their schedule to fit around their employees’ lives. You’ll find Kyla Trivette, Alice Davis, Becky Davis, Joyce Curtis and Ira Fowler behind the deli counter, behind the register or socializing with customers, frequently with the “world-famous Loafers” as they are called.
The Loafers precede Billy and Nicole at the Foscoe Country Corner. Gathering at around 2:00 p.m. every day of the week, even Sunday, the Loafers are regulars who meet to talk about everything under the sun.
“If some of these politicians would come in here, the world problems could be solved in hours,” laughed Billy, who said that the Loafers sit at the wooden tables surrounding the deli and debate. “Some days they talk about fishing and some days, you might need fishing waders in here it gets so deep.”
Some of the Loafers have been coming to the store longer than Billy has been alive. Billy wouldn’t trade the Loafers for anything in the world.
“It’s good to hear about our history from them,” said Billy about the all-local contingent of mostly men. “It’s like I got ten grandpas and I always got one here.”
The Loafers are part of the Foscoe Country Corner extended family that, according to Billy, “takes care of everybody.” The Loafers are still in session when the kids get off the bus and come in to get drinks and snacks. “Everybody watches out for everybody,” added Billy, who said that was one reason he and his wife didn’t change anything when they purchased the store from Jim and Sandra Howard, who had purchased the store from the Taylor family.
Billy is a native of Watauga County, born in Watauga County Hospital. He graduated from Watauga High School in 1989 and did “a little bit of everything” after that. From construction to private ventures to helping out with a friend’s car racing team—Billy’s claim to fame is that he’s been over the wall at Daytona changing tires—he made a life for himself in the High Country. Around 2000, he met Nicole—a transplant from Granite Falls who was attending Caldwell Community College. She was working at Taylor’s Country Store where Billy frequently stopped en route to and from jobsites in Linville. A mutual friend arranged a date, he asker her to marry him during Thanksgiving 2003 and the rest is history.
Now, the couple’s store is busy all the time with friends and family. Their daughter Jada is often found running around the store—she even knows the names of some of the customers, soon to learn more.
The store used to be a one cash register operation, but knowing that many patrons have 30-minute lunch breaks and need to be in and out quickly, Billy added one more cash register for faster service. Faster service is also the reason he doesn’t sell lottery tickets.
Billy is often at the store in the morning hours. He’s home by 1:00 p.m. to take care of Jada, at which time Nicole takes over the operation at the store.
“She’s the smiling face that knows everyone’s name. I’m still learning,” said Billy.
The couple’s one-stop shop caters to the customer. If people can’t find something Billy makes sure it’s stocked the next time they come in. He understands that the drive to Boone gets harder and harder by the year and he hopes he can save his customers some of those trips. Customers are always stopping him to say thank you.
And they should. Billy and Nicole are always there for their customers. They welcome patrons who are far away from or who have no family in for the holidays—Thanksgiving, Christmas—for meals and camaraderie.
“As bad as the world is these days, it’s nice to have a little place in the community to come and smile,” said Billy. “We take care of ours.”
Billy commented on how the landscape and makeup of the High Country keeps changing, and although he doesn’t think that’s all bad, “We can’t forget what got us here,” he said.
Billy and Nicole want to be a part of the community for the long haul—they want to keep the Foscoe Country Corner running for the indefinite future. Because he’s still “got to pay the bank across the street,” he takes just enough money to pay the house payment, bills and for clothes and food for Jada, and then funnels the rest back into the store. He hopes to give the store to Jada in the future.
“If money comes, it comes. As long as we can keep the doors open that’s fine. I want to be here for the regulars and those who work here,” said Billy.
The Foscoe Country Corner, 8937 Highway 105 South, is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with the deli open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The deli is open on Sundays during Daylight Saving Time. The Foscoe Country Corner also does catering and can handle an unlimited menu of food for 10 to 500 people. The deli serves a basic menu of southern fare, including breakfast. For more information, call 828-963-9512.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
