Mountain Meal at the Dry Hill Store

BUTLER, Tenn. – When Richard Dugger moved back to Butler from Ohio, he had to drive to Johnson City three times a week for supplies. 

On his drive, he spotted a patch of land with nothing but briers on it. And he had an idea to make things more convenient.

“My husband was bored,” says his wife, Carolyn Dugger, with a laugh.

Whatever the reason, he opened the Dry Hill Store seven years ago.

Today the quaint wooden building houses a hardware store, a convenience store and a deli. It's just one of many activities near Sugar Hollow Retreat.

“I just thought it’d be a nice place for a convenience store,” Richard Dugger said. “My wife wanted the deli. It’s an evolving thing.”

Evolving is right. The hardware area started as just one section, and now takes up the whole basement.

The phone rings frequently.

People stroll into and out, buying lottery tickets, a frozen chocolate chip cookie. Some stop to sit and munch on a burger and fries. If you chat with Richard for a few minutes, you can learn about the history of the Watauga Lake area.  

The dining area includes space enough for a big party.

The Duggers say they love providing a place to come.

“People are moving in and it’s nice to meet them, help them, show them where to go,” Carolyn Dugger says.

The downside is that the business takes up a lot of time for the retired couple, and they don’t travel as much as they like to see family in Ohio.

But that’s OK, Carolyn explains, because her husband “is definitely not bored.”

Dry Hill General Store & Deli
1535 Dry Hill Rd, Butler, TN
(423) 768-3084 ‎