Store at Five Corners Announces Corey Wentworth as New Operator
4/8/2022
The local non-profit that recently purchased the historic Store at Five Corners at the intersection of Routes 7 and 43 in Williamstown, Massachusetts has announced its selection of Corey Wentworth as the new Store Operator who will be responsible for reopening and running the Store.
Karen Charbonneau, president of the Store at Five Corners Stewardship Association, said, “We’re thrilled to announce that Corey Wentworth, a talented chef and restaurant/café manager, will be running the general Store and café. Corey comes with decades of cooking and managerial experience, a vision of the Store returning to the community gathering place it once was, and a passion for the opportunity to serve everyone delicious food in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.”
Originally from Maine, Wentworth has spent many years working in restaurants, first as a line cook/supervisor and later as chef/manager, at well-known establishments including the Salty Dog and Flour Bakery + Café in Boston, Duckfat and Fore Street Restaurant in Portland, Maine, and Tourists Hotel in North Adams. He lives with his wife and three children in Hancock, just a few miles down the road from the Store.
Wentworth said, “I’ve lived my life in kitchens, and they are one of the spaces that make me happiest and they are where I feel the most energized and engaged. Cooking delicious, honest food that centers amazing local ingredients, giving people a satisfying meal and experience that brings them joy, and nurturing a welcoming gathering space is a large part of who I am.”
He continued, “Since moving here from Boston with my family in 2018 I have grown to love the Berkshires and the wonderful people who live and work here. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to work with the Store at Five Corners Stewardship Association to revive this community touchstone. This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to share this exciting experience with everyone who stops in.”
Charbonneau said, “We’ll keep the community posted about our progress towards the Store’s opening, and all the work the Stewardship Association is doing on this beautiful, historic building in preparation. We’re looking forward to a reopening day in June, when everyone will have a chance to meet and welcome Corey.”
To learn more about the Store at Five Corners Stewardship Association, receive updates, volunteer, or donate, see storeatfivecorners.org.
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WHY WE NEED TO SAVE THE STORE AT FIVE CORNERS
As you travel North on Route 7 or East on Route 43, suddenly you see a stunning, stately vision of the past and present, standing proudly as the gateway to the “Village Beautiful”, Williamstown, MA.
The Store at Five Corners is an historical building that had served the people in this community for over 239 years, until it closed for the first time in 2011. Until then, it was one of the longest continuously operating stores in our country’s history.
The Store started as a place to meet and connect with friends and neighbors while enjoying some refreshment. That is what it continued to be until it closed. Until its very recent purchase by a new non-profit organization, the Store had remained unprotected from development, decay, and even demolition.
Survey Results
An Overwhelming Survey Response by 134 Members of Our Community.
• Importance to the community (1 to 10): avg. 8.9, 54% at 10.
• Importance to you/your family (1 to 10): avg. 8.7, 48% at 10.
• Believe a general goods/food store should operate at 5 Corners (1 to 10): avg. 9.1, 73% at 10
• 89% prefer that the store be independent (59% strongly prefer).
*Results tabulated on first 131 responses
The most common things mentioned in the comments were the convenience of not having to drive into town for milk, bread, and other last-minute items, the pleasure of meeting friends there for lunch or coffee, and the sense of the place as a community hub.
