Seven miles to serenity: Country store fosters community
Published 12:54 pm Friday, June 28, 2019
Staff leader Candice Blackwell presses burgers on the grill during the lunch rush Thursday at Pilot View Mini Mart. (Photo by Nacogdoches Miller)
Howard Pasley eats lunch at Pilot View Mini Mart on Thursday. (Photo by Nacogdoches Miller)
Michelle Richards checks turkey for the daily special on June 27, 2019. Photo by Nacogdoches Miller
Lunch time at Pilot View Mini Mart on Thursday June 27, 2019. Photo by Nacogdoches Miller
Growing up down the street, Lindsay Pasley, 89,smokes a cigarette outside Pilot View Mini Mart, on Thursday June 27, 2019. Photo by Nacogdoches Miller
Pilot View Mini Mart is located roughly seven miles outside Winchester on Ironworks Road. (Photo by Nacogdoches Miller)
Outside the hustle and bustle of Winchester, amid a farming community sits a little country store.
People stepping out of the car onto the gravel parking lot are more likely to be greeted with the sound of a nearby rooster crowing than the distorted boom box of a passing car.
Meet Pilot View Mini Mart, a community gathering spot in the heart of Clark County’s farmland.
This cozy country oasis, sitting roughly seven miles outside the city, holds an atmosphere of character, from the rustic signs hanging around to the autographed floor.
Instead of the plugged-in lifestyle of aimlessly scrolling through social media, at Pilot View, friends, family and neighbors would rather converse over homemade meals.
Candice Blackwell, the lead staff of the store, said that’s how it’s always been.
“Everybody is just family,” Blackwell said.
After the store was put up for auction in 2016, Sarah and William Perry purchased the store and reopened it the following month.
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows yours name. And that’s what Pilot View Mini Mart offers.
While not quite “Cheers,” one can hear the theme song play when watching person after person come in and greet someone or everyone while they place an order.
Howard Pasley, a patron of Pilot View since he was 4- or 5-years-old, said the store is full of history and plays an integral part in Clark County.
“It’s a gathering spot for the community to catch up on their news, who’s sick, who’s pregnant, who’s got a new child, who’s going to retire,” Pasley said.
Ready to serve from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, the staff is as dedicated to their community as the community is to them.
Blackwell said what makes Pilot View different is they are country, not commercialized.
“If you like a country setting, it’s peaceful,” Blackwell said. “… You’re on the outskirts of town; you’re on the outskirts of the big city of Winchester. If you like country life, this is where you need to be.”
The store not only serves homemade food, all-day breakfast and lunch specials changed daily, but customers can also find fresh produce from Clark County farmers and Kentucky Proud items.
Blackwell said the community feedback had been nothing but good ever since new owners took over the store.
“I think it is very important because there are so many people who come and tell us ‘we are so glad you’re here, we are glad that you all took over the store, you reopened it. You’re here for us,’” Blackwell said.
She said Pilot View not only serves the farming community but because it is between Winchester and Clay City, everyone from locals to folks seeking out the Red River Gorge pass through for a bite.
From the sizzle of fresh food on the griddle to the laughs and murmurs of people staying connected, it’s easy to see how this little store makes a significant impact for those around it.
“It’s a great little community,” Blackwell said. “Everybody is family around here. If you need something, it’s nothing to make a phone call, and someone comes to your rescue.”
