New convenience Store to be Largest in Greene County

By Jesse Angelino

The South Cairo Store

CAIRO — Since 1995, the South Cairo Country Store on the corner of 23B and Ross Ruland Road has been the shopping oasis for locals living between Cairo and Catskill. Ketan Purani purchased the store after leaving his former home in India nearly 30 years ago and had been its sole proprietor for many years before eventually passing the torch to his two sons Ankur and Sagar who still manage it today. The humble gas station/ convenience store has served as a blessing to those in the hamlet providing competitively priced fuel, snacks, beer, cigarettes, and coffee to nearby patrons. It was not long before a deli was added that served sandwiches, and even a wine & liquor shop sprang up at the site.

“We grew up here, we love South Cairo, it’s our home and we love giving back to it” says Sagar Purani as he and his brother prepare for the opening of their new store which will consolidate the existing three businesses into a single building, making it the largest convenience store in Greene County! “A bigger store for an area with a lot of potential for growth has been our vision for the last eight years” continues Sagar. “Now we're finally coming to the end of the project”.

The new store will be located adjacent to its former site but closer to NY State Route 23 which will allow better access from the neighboring highway and accommodate parking with up to 70 new spaces. “We will have six gas pump stations at the new location with touch screens available at the pumps to pre order food such as pizza, salads, sandwiches, parfait, and fried chicken to be made fresh inside and waiting for you after you are done refueling” explains Ankur Purani. “There will also be stations out here to refuel your propane as well”.

The new 10,000 square foot convenience store will also harbor an elaborate beer cave to chill a wide variety of foreign and domestic beverages, a cell phone charging station, and a dining area for guests. “From bean to cup” happily proclaims the original store's owner Ketan Purani on the new establishment's impressive coffee system that offers a more gourmet experience for its visitors. State of the art flat screens will advertise special sales for individual aisles that offer light grocery shopping options starting with a dairy aisle that will be present as the business continues its noteworthy service to being South Cairo’s community hub.

The new shop’s liquor and wine section will boast a 500 square foot wine cave with chilled chardonnays, sauvignon blancs, and more. Tastings to sample new products will be hosted at tasting tables every Friday from 4-7PM amidst new custom made wine racks to store premium wines and liquor from around the world.

The New South Cairo Country Store is set to open this June with a soft opening followed by a grand opening later on in July. The new South Cairo Country Store is accepting applications at this time for interested parties seeking new employment opportunities at this premiere location and can submit their information at jobapplication.sccs@gmail.com