Mast General Store Boone — Local services in Boone

I made an unplanned visit to Mast General Store in Boone. We were visiting our son and my family was deciding where to have dinner. So I slipped into the store while they looked at online menus.

As I walked into the store, I noticed that I had never paid attention in previous visits to the amount of beautiful merchandise & selection available.

The fact that this store is historical dating back to 1883 is even more exciting! As I took pics/videos two young employees upstairs near shoes asked me what I was doing & I shared that I am a top Google contributor & they asked to take their pic. I didn’t mind & then they informed me that the owner, Lisa happened to be in the Boone store today. What a lovely coincidence. So we met. I asked if I could do a short clip of her explaining her family’s acquisition of the general store in the 1970s. For example, I did not know that this is one of 11 stores & it is family & employee owned. I love that!

If you are traveling and are in need of anything from jackets to sportswear to even a bit dressier attire and the favorite to many, the go-to Birkenstock. And so many other great comfortable shoe brands.

There is truly something for everyone! From made in the USA to eco-friendly brands, they have it all!

Also “Love” the candy & novelty items. Lisa was sweet & gifted us the private labeled candy bars with Mast General printed on them. My husband remarked as to how delicious they were. He tried all 3 flavors & he is a picky guy as a chef.

I also enjoyed looking at the Home & Hearth section as well.

As a guide, I say….Mast General Store is a must!

PS the owner highly recommended a visit to the Valle Crucis store. I am saving it to Google Maps right now.

Also I am in love with the LL Bean check PJ short set in luxurious cotton that I brought home. These would make a great gift for any woman that loves to sleep...

The venerable old-school outfitters and supply store in the NC Mountains, with quite a few branch locations to the south (Greenville, SC) and east (Winston-Salem). The Boone location has the well-respected squeaky wood flooring and well-worn stairs. No trip to the western part of NC and SC would be complete without a visit.

Don't expect non-MSRP pricing unless you hit a sale (e.g. after Christmas) but the store is always well-stocked with name-brand and some high-quality off-prime-name brands. In some cases I've found the exact item online for more than Mast charges so if you find something you want, you've probably looking at a reasonable price. I do shop around for Columbia and Patagonia products elsewhere though. Shoe & boot pricing is competitive and if you're up in Boone (for example) keep looking when you come in for a sale on certain stock.

The staff is always roaming and looking for people that need a little help. This is not a Target, so (1) expect to find things just around the aisle corner you weren't necessarily looking for, and (2) you'll probably buy something you weren't here for.

Keep your kids out of the candy section unless you want a tennis match in the back seat.

Parking downtown Boone can be problematic. The town's meters take credit cards if you can find a spot on Queen Street one block up and west of the store.

If you're in downtown Winston-Salem, go to the store there; it's larger I think than the Boone location. If you're driving in the area, visit the original Valle Crusis location too. Same feel,...

I'm DONE! I've been going here since 2006. This USED to be one of my absolute stops whenever I visited Boone twice a month and a couple of times a year with the whole crew of grandkids. It was always fun, even if over-priced and often too crowded. It was our little indulgence and we'd always leave with a shirt and hat each, a few pounds of old-timey candy, or some birthday/Christmas gifts.

Unfortunately, that has now changed as of walking in with them last time to encounter a male employee dressed as a woman. We turned around and left. I don't care what someone's private emotional problems are, but when possible, I avoid situations where unknown people deliberately foist on me the necessity to explain manifestations of their mental confusion or illness on small children [or anyone else] under my tutelage.

It's amazing how a single encounter can signal a drastic change in managerial philosophy and destroy decades of positive experience... because a corner has been turned.

Most businesses require uniforms or have other specific dress code requirements for employees. It's a shame that "true to the old-time tradition" [Wiki page] Mast General Store has elected an employee's aberrant predilections over the take of not an insignificant portion of their clientele. Not even Mickey and Donald would get away with wearing one of Daisy's dresses... cuz the actor...