Jericho Center Country Store, Jericho Center
Co-owner Valerie Sodano showcases the award-winner Vermonter Panini. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY JERICHO CENTER COUNTRY STORE
Jericho Center Country Store remains a place for all seasons, a welcoming space for all to gather.
Across from the Jericho town green on a road less traveled sits this charming country store that despite being off the beaten path manages a booming business. During summer and fall months, the bucolic town green with picnic tables under sheltering trees offers a place to enjoy a sandwich. Choose from award-winning “Vermonter” Panini, the JCCS Burger, or Sugar Shack Poutine from the deli and grill, which offers a wide selection and draws a regular crowd.
The stories and tales passed down from the various owners since its inception in 1807 are treasured. Old relics that grace the walls, counters, and ceiling include hanging metal milking buckets, antique cracker tins, and a large green antique scale made in Dayton, Ohio. The store once served as a trading post bartering furs for syrup, cheese, and corn. Today JCS offers a little bit of everything, including highquality food.
Sink your teeth into a juicy JCCS burger made from local LaPlatte beef as chipotle aioli sauce drips down the sides and bacon, Vermont cheddar, and a red onion slice rest on top. Or try the grilled award-winning Vermonter Panini with sweet ham, apple slices, tomatoes, onion, honey mustard, and melted cheddar oozing with your first bite. Even the famed Snowflake Bentley who hails from Jericho has a panini sandwich named for him: the Bentley with roasted turkey, bacon, tomato, green pepper, pickles, ranch dressing, and cheddar. And for a special occasion, meat platters and lunch and breakfast selections can be ordered in advance.
John Abbott, a longtime Jericho resident, shares his sentiments. “As the longest continually operating general store in Vermont, Jericho Center Country Store is the iconic center of our community. It is where neighbors have come for generations to pick up mail, grab coffee, and buy milk, eggs, bread, and the legendary sandwiches. It is also where visitors come for a nostalgic drop-in to a piece of history and a more innocent time when you could buy anything from fishing tackle to motor oil to penny candy. For generations, local teenagers have had their first job experience here, making creemees, running the register, and more recently running the grill.”
Over the years, JCS has offered unique services. There was once a rack of extra keys so that if townspeople were locked out of their homes, they could come to the store and retrieve their spare. Until recently for about 80 folks, the store functioned as their post office with small mailboxes gracing a wall in the back. During the Gerry and Lil Desso ownership from the late 1960s through 1997, a 25-cent drawer offered a fun array of small toys. Inspired by Lil Desso, local author Tracey Campbell Pearson based her children’s book, The Storekeeper, on this store.
The JCCS burger, a fan favorite
The newest owners, Valerie Sodano and Michael Blanchard, purchased the store in June 2024 from Linda, Doug, and Jon St. Amour who ran it for 22 years. The St. Amour family and the Dessos left their mark here with their welcoming presence and love of community. And now, Valerie, who runs the store, will carry forth with many of the traditions and add some of her own, including more local gift and food items and a curated selection of natural wines. She’ll add some whimsy while maintaining its authenticity. As a young girl, Valerie always dreamed of owning a bed and breakfast. Prior to running Jericho Center Country Store, she owned Timberholm Inn, a well-known Stowe bed and breakfast for almost six years.
Jericho Center Country Store remains a place for all seasons, a welcoming space for all to gather. Locals catching up on the latest, visitors from out of state, and National Guard members in fatigues grabbing lunches to take back to nearby Fort Ethan Allen keep this place bustling. Honoring the store’s deep historical roots, dedicated storekeepers over the decades have kept the stories flowing, traditions alive, and added their own imprint to adapt with the times to ensure that this legendary store remains beloved.
