Country market/General goods store idea

[vintage]

Dh and I have been thinking of taking my hobby and kicking it up to a local small business. We live in a tiny rural community that's located in a food desert. I'd like to combine this with fresh, affordable produce and other items to extend the need for people to drive into the city for groceries. I'd like local vendors (honey, beef, eggs, bakers) to have a place to sell their items. There isn't a place here for general hardware either, I'd carry essentials so people don't have to drive a long distance for a paint brush or nails. Everything would have to be pretty reasonably priced in order for me to feel like I'm helping and not providing more challenges to the lower income families here.

This is a bit of ramble, I apologize. I'm excited by the idea and overwhelmed at the same time and need a place to write it out.

For those of you in rural communities, what do you wish you had easier access to? My main thing is produce. I run out and then have to haul into town, which is kind of why we live where we do (away from town lol) but it does nothing for our local economy to go elsewhere for everything. We do have a small Dollar General here, milk is $3.49 a gallon. There's nothing really fresh aside from some dairy products. And you definitely pay for convenience.

 

[1Bigloop]

I love your idea. Living rural is such a pain at times. I'm horrible about going to town. If I can prolong it I will lol.
We have a really neat store here that has grown into a huge thing. It's a consignment shop for vintage and handmade items.
It used to be a Woolworth's store so they restored the old lunch counter and added a full service bakery. It's just a fun place to go. They keep adding more all the time and have been able to expand into 2 other empty buildings that are right in line.
They've recently added a small fabric area and this year they added a small summer garden space that has some plants and garden decor. The possibilities are endless.
It has been a tremendous asset to our town.

 

[vintage]

I love your idea. Living rural is such a pain at times. I'm horrible about going to town. If I can prolong it I will lol.
We have a really neat store here that has grown into a huge thing. It's a consignment shop for vintage and handmade items.
It used to be a Woolworth's store so they restored the old lunch counter and added a full service bakery. It's just a fun place to go. They keep adding more all the time and have been able to expand into 2 other empty buildings that are right in line.
They've recently added a small fabric area and this year they added a small summer garden space that has some plants and garden decor. The possibilities are endless.
It has been a tremendous asset to our town.

This sounds so special! You are right, living rural can sometimes be a pain lol. Especially when we run out of produce but have plenty of everything else. I try to time my runs to hit all the errand spots I need when I go into town. But, I feel like I'm always forgetting something or need something a day or two after I go. We have a little produce stand about 15 minutes away (one way) but they don't carry much variety.