Since the late 1950s, a humble family general store on the shores of Long Pond has grown into one of Belgrade’s most beloved local institutions.
In 1958, Jim and Mae Day, together with their son Gary and his wife Joyce, opened the doors of what would come to be known simply as Day’s Store. What began as a modest lakeside market quickly became a gathering place for both year-round residents and summer visitors to the Lakes Region.
Nestled at 182 Main Street, the store occupies a building believed to have been constructed in the mid-19th century, tying its roots not only to family tradition but also to the long history of commerce in Belgrade’s village. Over the decades, Day’s Store evolved to meet the needs of its community, offering farm-fresh groceries, pantry staples, sporting goods, fishing supplies and lakeside souvenirs. Locals and vacationers alike came for the essentials, the donuts, the coffee — and the chance to bump into a neighbor or share a story by the water’s edge.
Across four generations of the Day family, the store remained rooted in its founding values of hospitality, family and service. Diane Day and her husband Kerry Oliver carried the business forward for decades, reinforcing its role as a community hub. Younger generations — including Diane’s daughter Melissa and her husband Kirt Furbush — have continued that legacy, launching the 1958 Café within the store as a seasonal lakeside eatery, blending new ideas with the comfort of longtime tradition.
Day’s Store has long been more than a place to shop: it is a touchstone of daily life in the Belgrade Lakes region, where generations of families have stocked up for picnics, gathered for coffee, or stopped by after a day on the water. Its longevity and continued evolution reflect both the rhythms of the seasons and the enduring appeal of a family-run business at the heart of a community.