Merrill Mischief relocating to former Morganton General Store site

A familiar downtown Morganton shop is getting a bigger home and a new concept. Merrill Mischief owners Sarah and Craig Merrill plan to move their store to the former Morganton General Store building and reopen it as the Merrill Mischief General Store.

The couple hopes to have the store open around Memorial Day weekend, offering brand classics like candy and fudge while expanding their inventory with traditional general store goods. Merrill Mischief’s current location will remain open through Mother’s Day in May.

“We really felt like with the general store not being here anymore, we needed something,” Sarah Merrill said. “We wanted to invest in the community.”

Merrill Mischief has been operating in its current location at 105 E. Union St. for about five years now. While the couple said they love their current space, the larger general store building on the next block at 116 W. Union St. will allow them to expand their offerings.

The new shop will keep Merrill Mischief’s signatures, including year-round Christmas decorations and the store’s popular fudge counter. Craig Merrill will continue making fudge and candy, including pralines, turtles, chocolate-covered cherries, and chocolate-covered Oreos.

The Merrills will also add many of the items customers typically expect from a general store, including more nostalgic candy, jams and jellies, soup mixes, coffee, hot sauces, maple syrup, and more. Customers can also find puzzles, toys, T-shirts, candles, greeting cards, and other gift items.

“We’re going to concentrate on stuff that you can’t get at a big box store,” Sarah said. “That doesn’t mean expensive … just to give the consumer variety and to help out smaller companies.”

The store will offer expanded snack items, including beef sticks, cheeses, popcorn, peanuts, and more. There will also be a pet section, with treats and accessories for furry friends, Sarah said.

In the upstairs space that formerly housed Swede’s Cafe, the Merrills will make and sell a variety of homemade bagels with different smears and spreads, though they won’t begin selling them for about four to six months after opening the store.

Though the Merrills have been making bagels for friends and family for years, Sarah said they want to nail down how to sell them commercially before diving right in. Housed in the general store will also be a basic coffee corner for people to enjoy with their bagels or while they browse.

The move also gives the couple more room to showcase the whimsical displays their current store is known for, including the popular mechanical train. They have already begun adding supports for it inside the new location. Sarah said she’s excited for the larger windows, where she will be able to add more decorations and draw people in.

“We’re going to keep it fun,” Sarah said. “We want to make it like a destination with lots to look at.”

Sarah said strengthening downtown Morganton is the main goal. With roughly 70% of customers already coming from the local community, she hopes the new store will draw even more residents and visitors to explore the area.

“It’s just going to be a fun place for locals, and hopefully a lot of tourists will come in, too,” Sarah said.

The Merrills’ move will also open up space for another downtown business. Stitching Chicks Needlepoint, currently at 134 W. Union St., plans to relocate to Merrill Mischief’s current storefront at 105 E. Union S. later this summer, owner Laura Oden said.