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By Cara Beth Lewis

Kevin and Casey Shumaker moved to Bladen County from Florida in 2020. Casey noticed that the only store in their new home of Ammon was closed, and told her husband, “this is going to be my store one day,” and the rest is history.

After looking at the store and deciding that they could make it happen, Kevin and Casey opened the new store and grill where they now offer anything from snacks, food, eggs, bread, plumbing, hardware, ice, automotive oils, and other daily basics.

Being the only place to shop for miles, K&C Store and Grill gives locals and those passing through “grill food with a Florida flare,” according to the owners. They added, “We are surrounded by farm traffic with Smithfield Hog Farms and Prestige Farms. Plus, with prime hunting lands surrounding the store and the daily truck traffic, my goal for the store and grill is to give the Ammon people somewhere to buy general stuff and get food from the grill.”

The owners have more ideas up their sleeve for their small business. Casey shared, “My future goal for our store is to be able to start selling beer in the store since the only place you can purchase it is in the city limits. I started that process when I lobbied the Bladen County Board of Commissioners. The board voted on it, in favor of us, so now that is on the county ballot for this November – for the Bladen county residents to have the say on becoming a non-dry county.” She added, “The times are changing from the old way of thinking about the selling of beer. We only need 7,000 votes to pass.”

Lastly, the owners stated, “We are truly blessed that the community has accepted us into the Ammon community, and has supported the grill and the store from day one.”