Say Hello to Us!

Mike Cosco and his wife Kim bought the Putney General Store in 2019. Prior to this business purchase, Mike and Kim owned and operated West Village Provisions in Boxford, Massachusetts, for over eight years. Mike & Kim are always in the store, whether it’s in the kitchen preparing great food or helping at the register. Say hello to them when you see them!

Mike Cosco, Owner

Before owning and operating his own business, Mike worked for Krups and Rowenta in managerial positions. His background in marketing is a great fit for the kind of work he does today with The Putney General Store. Before coming to Putney Mike simultaneously took on the task to open and then manage his town’s Farmers Market while also re-establishing a general store in the neighboring town.

Kim Cosco, Owner, Phoenix Gifts

Kim Cosco is the co-owner of the Putney General Store and owner/operator of Phoenix Gifts, located on the top floor of the general store. Kim’s experience in owning and operating West Village Provisions with her husband in Massachusetts gave Kim the experience needed to create Phoenix Gifts. With her keen eye for great products and a love of local artisans, Kim has turned the top floor of the Putney General Store into a wonderful place to shop.

About Us

The long history of the store dates back to 1796, the year when George Washington handed over control of the government to John Adams. The store has seen a lot in more than 2 centuries since then, including the recent loss of the original building to 2 fires in 2008 and 2009. The rebuilding that occurred after those fires is like a masterclass in resilience. This business is a pillar that holds up a community, and in every way, it is the community that keeps the business alive (is the lifeblood of the business). It is literally built from their blood, sweat, and tears.

Since 2019 it has been Mike and Kim Cosco who have taken over this institution, and their story intertwines with the story of rebuilding in Putney. As the new Putney General Store was being reopened in 2011, Mike and Kim were about 100 miles away, re-establishing a small general store in the West Village section of Boxford, MA, a town about 20 miles north of Boston that clings fiercely to its rural heritage. With their hard work and persistence, West Village Provisions became a hub of that community’s social activity, breathing new life into a building that was built in 1883 by a civic-minded Civil war veteran. Its purpose was to be a general store.

Simultaneous with opening their General Store, …

Mike helped establish and manage a Farmer’s Market in the neighboring town of Middleton, MA, where the largest landowner is a dairy with over 300 cows and a thriving milk and ice cream business. Mike managed the farmer’s market for 4 years before turning his attention full-time to the General Store business.
It was Kim who first suggested the General Store idea. With a history of retail management, including the historic Windsor Button Shop in downtown Boston, and later one of the biggest Hallmark stores in New England, she also had several entrepreneurial endeavors under her belt. Kim imagined the thriving grocery and gift store at that location and Mike felt he could do something with the kitchen that was on-site. Five years later, the thriving Gift Shop and Kitchen business was named “Best Place for lunch on Boston’s North Shore,” besting businesses in 23 other cities and towns. Additionally, Mike’s chili won first prize in Haverhill’s Firefighting Museum Annual Chili Contest.
In early 2019 when the Putney General Store showed up as “for sale” on Boston’s Craigslist, Mike and Kim felt that serendipity had struck with force. Their youngest was finishing high school and heading off to college. The Boxford store was healthy, and it seemed a great time to make a move. Although they would leave their home of 20 years and their friends and family in the area, the draw of Vermont and the perfect business opportunity was too much for them to ignore: the well-known Putney General Store and a 2000 sf space for the Gift Shop that Kim always dreamed of. The new gift store would, of course, become Phoenix Gifts
The rest...is history in the making.