The Village Stop closed its doors at the end of May, and it will be reopening under new ownership as Con’s Pit Stop, which was its original name when it first launched 35 years ago.

Marlace and Rick Hughes say they are thrilled to be reinvigorating the space.

“Town needs Con’s, and the community needs more stores open past 6 p.m.,” she said.

Con’s will have all the convenience store staples of beer, wine, hot dogs, chips and candy while also adding growlers and many new products as well as some healthier food items like sandwiches and frozen yogurt. It will be open from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily at its same location on A Street.

The couple also operates Ray’s Pharmacy in the Templin’s Center on North Beach Road. Marlace is currently looking for someone to manage her new venture and employees to man the storefront (contact raysrx@hotmail.com or visit the pharmacy for an application). While she plans to get the doors reopened as soon as possible, renovation work will be done in the fall to give the interior a complete overhaul.

Corinne and Con Davis opened Con’s Pit Stop on June 26, 1983.

“Our bestselling item was our ‘Con Dog.’ We sold as many as we could make every day,” said Corrine.

The couple later sold it to Steve and Debbie Woodruff, whose three kids all worked there. The Woodruffs changed the name to the Village Stop. Despite that, it was still called “Con’s” by old and newcomers alike.

Gary and Janna Bruland purchased the store from the Woodruffs and in 2010 sold it to Russ and Debbie Bruland. Their children Brad and Brooke worked at the store for years – first for their grandparents and then their parents.

Marlace welcomes ideas from the community about potential products and services for the store.

Corinne says Con, who passed away, would be “so very proud to have it named after him again.”

“He loved that store and all the people he could visit with. He was a gentle soul with the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met,” she said.

Opening day in 1983

Opening day in 1983