How to go
What: Green Country Market
Where: 21 E. Main St., Lebanon
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays
More Info: (513) 228-2000
From hand-made jewelry to home-made fudge, the Green Country Market strives to be an eclectic mix of a small-town country store filled with surprises and goodies.
“We’re like a mix of the Cracker Barrel and Starbucks,” said Kristen Ponchot, co-owner of the Green Country Market. “We want to be different than any other store in Lebanon.”
The Green Country Market opened recently at 21 E. Main St. in downtown Lebanon. The store offers a wide variety of groceries, including Amish cheeses and meats, bulk spices, lentils and beans.
“Our goal was to have a lot of bulk items you couldn’t find at a big-box supermarket chain,” Ponchot said. “We have unique grocery items so that you can craft a unique dinner and be adventurous.”
The store also offers a wide array of non-edible “down home” goods, including jewelery and clothing and a “build-you-own potpourri stand.”
“I’ve always wanted to open a small country store and downtown Lebanon has the perfect feel for such a place,” said Ponchot, who is a Lebanon resident and also owns Salon 757 on Columbus Avenue in Lebanon. “I liked to visit Amish country stores from the time I was little and I designed this place with that kind of feeling in mind.”
Ponchot hopes to soon expand the store to include box lunches. She and her mother, Dee Alexander, already make home-made fudge to sell at the store and brew fresh coffee every morning.
“The best part of the job, by far, is meeting new people and finding out what their interests are,” Ponchot said. “We’ve already gotten a big mix of both residents and visitors from out of town and I love to talk to them and find out what they want from our store.”
Ponchot said the name Green Country Market came from her desire to be eco-friendly and provide fresh, unique foods.
“My mother has always been a big gardener and we hope to provide fresh produce in the springtime and over the next summer,” Ponchot said.
Green Country Market is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. The store has parking in the rear of the building and also across Main Street in the City Building Lot. For more information, call (513) 228-2000.
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