Small Surprise Spotlight: Carolina Sundries

Welcome to the Small Surprise Spotlight, presented by Alamance County Visitors Bureau. We’re uncovering hidden gems in Alamance County that might be closer than you think!

This month’s feature is Carolina Sundries, a small town grocery, general store, and a place for fresh breakfast and lunch options right up the road in Burlington NC. Emily Lewis, who owns Carolina Sundries with her husband Casey, recently told us more about this sweet little shop.

1. Although Carolina Sundries isn’t the first successful business you’ve owned, can you tell us how you originally got started as a business owner? What made you want to open Carolina Sundries?

My husband, Casey Lewis, and I met as students at UNCG in the metal sculpture major.  When we married we both got jobs as welders and eventually started our own metal fabrication business,  Beechwood Metalworks Inc in 2004.  We specialized in sculpture for children’s hospitals and garden art as well as industrial metalwork.  Our garden art line grew in popularity to the point we felt it was time for us to open a retail location for just those pieces apart from our workshop.  In 2018 we opened Owl and Rabbit Gallery in downtown Burlington.  We felt downtown was a special place with so much potential for growth.  At first we rented a space to test and see if our store would take off.  The community really embraced our idea of a gallery filled with colorful, whimsical, and nature inspired art from local artists as well as our work.  In 2020, we decided to purchase 3 buildings in the downtown district to see if we could add more value to the landscape of the downtown shopping district. The gallery had outgrown its rented space and we moved it to one of our new buildings at 410 S Spring St.  We asked ourselves at that point, what is downtown missing? What would be some good anchor stores to bring people to the area and keep them here for the afternoon. We decided the corner building we purchased 404 S Spring would be an excellent spot for a grocery and general store.  Carolina Sundries was born from that idea.

2. Why was Alamance County the best location when you decided to open your business?

My husband grew up here and remembers shopping in the Blanchards department stores, the very ones we purchased.  Giving new life to an old landscape was important to us.  The merchants downtown have such a heart for the revitalization of the area and for the community. We wanted to be a part of that.

3. What do you think is the most unique thing about your business? What makes you different?

We tend to act quickly on a good idea and then figure out the details later.  It allows us to make a difference before the momentum is lost.  We only have formal education in metal sculpture yet we have built 4 businesses that range from metalwork, to art gallery and gift shop, to a grocery store and restaurant, to a property management company.  Yet, all these entities weave through each other to create a diverse portfolio that boosts the economy and provides jobs at a wide variety of skill sets.

4. If someone was taking a day trip to Alamance County, other than shopping or dining at Carolina Sundries, what would you recommend they do?

We have some wonderful restaurants around the county such as Burlington Beer Works, Tanners Wine Bar, The Root, Press, and The Eddy Pub (watching the sunset on the Haw River from their balcony is amazing).  Otherwise, the Alamance Arts Council in Graham is a great place to see local art, we have sculptures outside including a 25ft long dragon! The children’s museum is a highlight for children.  Cedar Rock park is a great place for hikes, disc golf, fishing, and picnics.  The Burlington City Park boasts our 100 year old Dentzel Carousel and other fun rides close to downtown.

5. What’s something about Alamance County that most people don’t know?

The carousel is a great one but also the Conservator’s Center in the northern part of the county.  You can get up close and view lions, tigers, wolves, and many more large cats and exotic animals.  They are all rescued from various situations and cannot be released into the wild.

6. What is your favorite thing on the Carolina Sundries menu?

The Sundries salad for sure!  For breakfast, our banana nut toast is amazing and unique. Being gluten intolerant myself, our chef created a delicious gluten free biscuit that allows me to enjoy all the flavor of our mouth watering sausage and egg biscuit. Our menu can be found here: Menu | Carolina Sundries

7. How do you hope to see your business grow?

We hope to be a hub of community interaction.  We want to know your name when you come in, see your neighbor at one of our tables eating lunch, shop for your groceries and let us make sure we order your favorite local products to keep in stock, and support local farmers and makers by becoming a one stop shop for hyper local goods.  The corner store that everyone needs.