HOPE — On April 30 the Hope General Store (HGS) posted on its Facebook page that the historic store, which includes an upstairs apartment, is officially being offered for sale. The annoucement came on the heels of sale rumors in late 2017; however, the store was only put on the market last month, said owner Michael Forcillo.

While the building has not always been a general store, the business listing on the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce website indicates that the HGS building has been consistently in use since it was built in 1832, save for several years in the recent past when it was closed for a period. 

The realtors representing the property are Brian Wickenden and Lewis Wheelwright of the Camden office of Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty. The asking price is $350,000.

According to the Sotheby’s listing: "This is a great opportunity to own and operate one of Maine's oldest and most beloved General Stores.The Hope General Store has been featured numerous times in local and national media including in Down East and Yankee magazines, as well on TV and in newspapers."    

The listing goes on to cite the attributes of the property, including available business fixtures and recent updates to the commercial and residential portions of the building which sits on .2 acres at the four-way intersection of Hope Corner. It has frontage on Routes 105 and 235, and it abuts the property that houses the Hope Municipal Offices and the Hope Library. Additionally it abuts a residential parcel that houses the parsonage for the nearby church. Proximate public recreational fields host various sporting events and camps, and the location of the store makes it a popular and safe walking destination for hungry participants and spectators to procure refreshments.

Owners Heather and Michael Forcillo purchased the store from Shannon and Andrew Stewart in 2014.

Andrew Stewart recalled that the historic store had been vacant for a period of approximately six years when his family purchased it. The Stewarts undertook the project of reviving the dormant store at the start of their nine year tenure as owner/ operators, retaining the building’s historic character while providing requisite updates and attending to maintenance. New offerings and products were introduced to carry the legacy of the business forward, evolving to meet the needs of its expanding base of customers and demographics.

Documented as one of Maine’s oldest general stores, during the past decade the HGS has been recognized for its pizza, prepared food menu, extensive craft beer program, and selection of grocery items and locally made products.

"Andrew [Stewart] did well with building a robust year-round business and it has continued to thrive," said Michael Forcillo.

"Business is very predictable," he added, chuckling about the predictable, albeit still astonishingly busy days that echo the return of the peak summer season.

"Sometimes during the summer you can't believe how you could make another pizza or sandwich, or how you can fit one more thing in the fridge,” he said. “You can look at a cooler and see it completely stocked and before you know it it's almost empty. It's a great business."

For the Forcillos, who are presently in the process of relocating from Rockport to Hope where they have purchased a home, the business has been an inspiring and unique experience.

Michael Forcillo said that the decision to sell the store was predicated largely on the couple’s feeling that the business will benefit from an owner/operator situation, and their personal and professional commitments prohibit them from being there on a day-to-day basis as much as they would like.

Additionally, Forcillo said that they believe it's time for the store to pass on to its next owner, and they see an exciting opportunity for the right person in that transition.

"It's more about the opportunity than anything else,” he said. “If there is anything we have learned from [our four years of ownership] the store an integral part of the community. [Offering it for sale] is a great opportunity for a new owner/operator to give it the kind of engagement that will allow it to continue to evolve." 

He said the Forcillos oversee management, but he was quick to credit the "great team of people" who work at HGS. He said he recognizes that passing the store to its next chapter is an important decision that impacts the community as a whole.

"When the owner is involved on a day-to-day basis and can talk to people in the community, they can hear their feedback and have conversations. It's a dynamic process, and you hear the community's needs and work to meet them,” he explained. 

"This store is a great opportunity for someone who is highly motivated to do that [work as owner/operator], I spent a year doing it and enjoying it a lot," he said.

Now, other projects prevent the Forcillos from being as active in the business as they would like. As the owners of a nearly 200-year-old community asset like HGS, they recognize the role the business plays in Hope, and in surrounding rural communities as well.

"Owning [HGS] is much of a business opportunity as it is a community responsibility," Forcillo said.

The store has been lauded in the media as one of the harbingers of general store revitalization — and to a greater extent, the burgeoning interest in rural revitalization in many Maine communities.

Forcillo added that one of the most important aspects of the success of the store is consistency. In keeping with that spirit, they recently installed a standby generator system with an automatic transfer switch which allows them to serve the community even during a power outage.

"Customers can come down when the power is out and get a hot cup of coffee and something to eat, talk to neighbors, and use our WiFi. A big part of the business is reliability. People know they can get their supplies, there's a sense of stability. The store is part of the culture, quality of life and convenience,” he said. 

Forcillo's voice grew animated as he discussed the unique opportunity for the next owner. He outlined a number of scenarios, including the owner occupying the spacious upstairs apartment while running the store, an arrangement utilized by previous owners.

Forcillo said he doesn't believe that the owner needs to live on premise, however. They mostly want to "find a person with passion to take over, someone that loves the town."

He added that the apartment is presently rented, and that finding a consistent tenant was not a challenge in the crowded Midcoast rental market.

Forcillo laughed as he explained that he has been intrigued by many different types of small business over the years, and owning the store has provided him the opportunity to satisfy many of his entrepreneurial interests due to the breadth of functions it serves in the small community.

"I always wanted to own a pizza shop, I always wanted to make beer, even the post office aspect of the store is something that met an [existing curiosity]" he said. " I got to do it all, and I got to do it in a great place."

He continued to reflect on the unique nature of owning a small business that is a vital piece of the fabric in a rural community. Adding that he has heard from customers that it was "hard on the community" during the period when the store was shuttered prior to purchase and revitalization by the Stewarts.

"It's a lifestyle, it's a lifestyle business, and it's really pretty cool. If you manage it as a whole it can be your life —your home —and your business, it's very attractive." He said. 

"We love the store, we've done everything we can to maintain stability, stock and staffing. I think we've certainly done that, but there is a bigger opportunity for someone to come in and really continue to take it into the future. I am excited to see that and I will continue to be a lifelong customer," he said.

Though there was some private interest in the store, beginning almost immediately when the Forcillos became owners, it was officially listed for sale in April, Forcillo said that there has "certainly been interest" since the property hit the market. 

Thinking about the Forcillos tenure as owners of HGS, Michael Forcillo paused for a moment.

"If there is one thing I will miss the most it's the interaction and engagement with all of Hope's interesting people,” he said. “It's their store, it belongs to the entire community in a sense."