Owners announce closure of Morganton General Store and Swede's Cafe

For seven years, the Morganton General Store has been a fixture in downtown, providing unique souvenirs and gifts, but with unsteady foot traffic and increasing costs, owners Beth and Harvey Hicks have decided to close the business and its adjoining café.

The Hickses opened the general store in April 2018, after the city commissioned a research company to provide information on what downtown was lacking. Research found that downtown was lacking an anchor store that provides a little bit of everything.

Beth Hicks said the goal was to bring not only unique locally made gifts and souvenirs to Morganton, but also to bring popular national brands to downtown. The general store was the first store in North Carolina to carry Grunt Style, a veteran-owned company that creates patriotic T-shirts and apparel, and Nora Fleming, a company that creates customizable hosting dishes.

A year later, the Hickses opened Swede’s Cafe, which is known for its fresh-baked scones and cozy meals on the general store’s mezzanine level. Posts on the cafe’s social media made it apparent that business was slowing down, asking for support to keep it open.

Throughout her years of being a business owner in Morganton, Beth described the experience as amazing. “We’ve met so many great people from all over the country,” she said. “We’ve had some great employees who will always be our friends.”

Beth added that she and Harvey will miss the friendships they have made through their ownership of the general store and cafe. From connecting with people during downtown festivals to hosting a weekly men’s coffee group, they formed many relationships throughout the Morganton community.

With inconsistent foot traffic and rising operating costs, Beth said owning the store and café became increasingly stressful. “It was a very hard decision to make, but one that’s probably going to be better in the long run.”

The Hickses shared the news on social media Monday morning. “After much deliberation, through sleepless nights and discussions with my family, we have made a difficult, heart wrenching decision.”

Everything in the store, excluding products from local vendors, is now offered at a 20% discount. The cafe will be open for business until around mid-January, Beth said, adding that an official closing date is still to be determined because she’s trying to sell as much remaining inventory as possible.

“We will miss you all! We cherish all of the memories you have helped us create! Hopefully you all have some fond memories of the times you have visited our humble establishment,” the Hickses wrote. “It is so bittersweet to think of moving on from here, from no longer being part of your lives, from no longer being a fixture to Downtown Morganton!”