Spotlight On: Stinson's Village Store
A longtime member of the local Hanover business community, Stinson’s Village Store is a staple of the Dartmouth way of life. Whether Stinson’s is catering tailgates for sports games, supplying fraternities and sororities with pong materials or providing lunch to construction workers working on a number of Dartmouth’s new buildings, the store is an integral part of the College’s recent history.
When I stopped by to ask storeowner Jack Stinson a few questions, I witnessed firsthand both the store’s popularity and the close relationship that customers have with Stinson. Known to his customers as simply “Jack,” Stinson noted that while he’s “certainly dependent” on the Dartmouth community for a large part of his business, his store also does a lot for many beyond the ages of 18 to 22. Stinson provides a much-needed service to many Hanover residents through his deli business and meets the demand for the newest products in the beer industry.
Many of the locals do choose to shop at the Hanover Co-op food store, as Stinson jokingly characterized the area as a “granola town,” but more often than not, people regularly come in for the large selection of cigarettes and other “smokes.” The introduction of a breakfast and lunch menu, however, has been the source of a large amount of income and has carried the rest of the business at times.
In order to capture the food business, Stinson said he had to change the store’s opening time from 10 a.m. to 8 a.m. By offering mainly soups and sandwiches, the couple has been able to account for the spikes in sales that inevitably result from Dartmouth’s academic calendar.
“There used to be no beer sales for three weeks in September, but with the academic calendar change, now there are no beer sales in December,” Stinson said. “We have to cut back on labor then, but everyone knew it was coming.”
Stinson noted that he is appreciative that the College has been constructing new buildings, because those workers now come in for breakfast and lunch and boost sales. Indeed, appreciation is very important to Stinson’s. While I was talking to Stinson, one customer noticed that he had accidentally given her too much change, and immediately correcting the mistake, returned it right back.
“That’s the kind of thing we appreciate here,” Stinson said. “In other small towns, people — especially students — aren’t quite as honest and we appreciate that they look out for us here.”
Stinson was quick to appreciate the consideration of Dartmouth students as well. Last fall, a pledge trainer asked for Stinson’s sandwiches to be a part of pledge packs, and business jumped that October, Stinson said.
The fraternity social chairs I spoke with had many stories of their positive experiences with Stinson’s over the last year.
John Nimmo ’13, one of the social chairs of Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity, said that Stinson will streamline the process of buying beer for all social chairs. To expedite the process, Stinson lets socials pull their cars up to the back of the store and helps them load up beer, Nimmo said.
Simon Greenberg ’13, one of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity’s social chairs, said that many social chairs go to Stinson’s exclusively to purchase pong supplies like balls and paddles. Dice, another key item for many fraternities, are sold at the front counter. Stinson’s also hosts occasional beer tastings and boasts a close and friendly relationship with the Dartmouth community, Greenberg said.
In general students can always rely on a steady supply of Keystone Light and congenial workers whenever they frequent Stinson’s. However, the store can be a bit pricier than other local options such as CVS or Un-Dun, according to Greenberg, so students often primarily rely on Stinson’s for kegs. Stinson’s keg delivery business took off when former President of the College Jim Wright banned 30-packs in the late 1980s, according to Stinson.
While Stinson would not confirm or deny the urban legend that Stinson’s is the largest beer distributor in the northeast, saying that “rumors ruin beer sales,” he said he was able to confirm that Stinson’s is the biggest distributor of Woodchuck Hard Cider in the Northeast.
Other rumors circulate about Stinson himself, including one that he has a pong table in his basement. Stinson’s wife Donna, a former registered nurse and also heavily involved in the store, admitted to having played the popular game in Streeter residence hall some time ago. Rumors also circulate that Stinson has sampled beer from every country in Europe.
True or not, Stinson’s beer options hail from different places around the Northeast as well. With the new demand for microbrews, Stinson’s has imported beers from individuals with their own connections to Dartmouth. One former Dartmouth student’s parents own Throwback Brewery and deliver it to Stinson’s from Portsmouth. Another pair of Tuck School of Business graduates head the Lagunitas Brewing Company, and deliver it to Stinson’s from Los Angeles.
In the end, it seems as though Stinson’s and Dartmouth are inextricably linked. Donna Stinson perhaps said it best when she told me, “Everyone loves this store.”