Meet the owners of the Scio Country Store, launching a new era at Main Street anchor
Ankur Purani and Gokul Shah are making a few changes and keeping some community favorites at the Scio Country Store. Here's what's planned.
Have a request for something you’d like to see on the shelves at the Scio Country Store?
Tell whoever is working the cash register, and Ankur Purani and Gokul Shah will make it happen.
The new owners and operators of the Main Street business are keeping a running tab of requests as they look to maintain the hometown feel of Scio’s historic general store and gas station. Purani acquired the business earlier this month from Jim and Cindy Potter, who operated “The Store” for the last 34.5 years.
“We’ve got a book where employees write down requests and we just get it for you,” said Purani. “It may take about a week or so, sometimes longer, but our aim is to serve the needs of the community.”
While Purani and Shah are getting acclimated to the Scio market, they’re already familiar with the region. Purani’s first foray into the Southern Tier came in Canisteo, where he purchased a similar family-owned, Main Street enterprise from the Reddings. Purani’s business also runs country stores in the Albany area.
“We love the country vibe, so we name all of our businesses with the word ‘country’ in it. That’s just our thing,” said Purani. “It’s the smalltown feel. The stores we have are in small towns. That’s what we enjoy. (Scio) is actually a little bigger and busier than I’m used to, but I love the neighborhood.”
What changes are coming to the Scio Country Store
Purani and Shah are aiming to maintain what gave The Store its staying power over so many decades, while putting their own touch on the business.
“We’re just adding more services and extending the hours,” said Shah. “The concept is the same, we’re just hoping to add more to it.”
The cousins said the Scio Country Store will “fill up” over the next few weeks with new products on the shelves.
“We’re starting from scratch. We’re going to throw everything on the wall and see what sticks,” said Purani. “There will be more of everything.”
A new propane fill station, “much cheaper than anywhere around,” according to Purani, is expected to be up and running within a month or so. New Citgo branding will be noticeable on the fuel pumps and the canopy in the next two to three months, along with a fresh LED digital price sign.
Purani has also obtained quotes for diesel and kerosene service, but those additions may be further down the line.
Inside the store, some updates to shelving and countertops have already been completed or are in the works, including a new counter.
New hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. The phone number is now 585-296-3244.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the butcher shop. Purani said the Scio Country Store will continue offering fresh-cut meat, with Jim Potter training a successor in the secrets of the trade.
“That’s not something we traditionally do, but I see a need for it,” said Purani. “The town loves the way Jim cuts his meat and does it. It’s a better-quality meat, is what we’ve heard from the town. He does an excellent job so we wanted to keep that. We felt the town needed that, and we like to cater to the needs of the town.”
More:Family feel, two-foot subs drew fans to Scio's The Store. Its owners are passing the torch
As for those requests, they may be made directly to Purani or Shah, who have been manning the store on weekends since the purchase, getting to know the clientele and sharing a drink with Scio's morning coffee crew.
"We're still working on solving world peace," said Purani. "We're almost there."