New beer and grocery store set to open in Millerton

MILLERTON – A new beer and grocery store is set to open in Millerton on April 1, aiming to help fill a gap in the village’s grocery options.

Kristen Watson and her husband, Billy, will open State Line Beer and Grocery, offering farm-fresh eggs, frozen local meats, nonperishable foods and household essentials.

With no visible movement on the proposed grocery store in the former Trotta Plaza, State Line Beer and Grocery is poised to join Tri-Corner Feed in serving as a smaller-scale option for local residents seeking basic groceries and everyday necessities.

Watson, who will serve as general manager, said the idea grew out of repeated community requests and a desire to fill a void.

“I needed rice the other night when my dog got sick, and I couldn’t find it easily in town,” Watson said, adding that she had to drive to CVS just before closing time. “It will be nice to have something right here.”

A longtime local, Watson grew up in Dover and worked as a licensed veterinary technician at Millerton Veterinary Practice for 19 years before stepping away last year to focus on family. Now, she said, the business has quickly become a family effort.

“This is now my baby,” Watson joked. “Everyone’s helped – my kids, my parents, my husband.” Watson said her kids helped paint floors and stock shelves, which were built by her brother.

The store will emphasize local sourcing whenever possible, with Watson already in conversations with nearby farms and producers. She said she hopes to carry items such as local meats and her own farm-fresh eggs.

“Happy chickens equals a happy wife, so I call it the Happy Blended Homestead,” she said of her 53 chickens and home garden.\

Kristen Watson, right, speaks with beer distributor Brian Struble in the new grocery and beer store she and her husband, Billy, are opening on April 1. By Aly Morrissey

Watson also said she plans to remain flexible based on customer demand and suggestions. She will manage a Facebook page and keep a suggestion box in the store.

“We’re listening to people,” she said. “If people want something, we’ll try to carry it. If it’s not working, we’ll adjust.”

Much of the meat will be sold frozen, supplemented by refrigerated items and pantry staples. The store will also stock household goods such as paper products, cleaning supplies and everyday necessities – items Watson said are often difficult to find locally without traveling outside the area or waiting to shop online.

In addition to groceries, the store will sell beer and hard seltzers, along with a limited selection of convenience items geared toward residents and visitors, including campers passing through the area.

Watson said attention to detail and community responsiveness will set the store apart.

“Being a smaller store, that personal touch will be huge,” she said. “We’re not here to make a million dollars – we’re here to make people happy and have what they need.

State Line Beer and Grocery will offer everything from food supplies to cleaning supplies. By Aly Morrissey