Why the train? Why the hand-painted signs, the handmade counters… and why care so much about coffee?

My husband Craig and I recently took a break from the ongoing—constant (and I mean constant!)—chaos of moving our little store just 350 feet down the street into a larger space. We set out on a quick day trip to visit our first grandchild. Wilmington is more than four hours from Morganton, and we did it all in one day—plenty of car time.

Our plan? Use those hours to work—finalize schedules, place last orders, and somehow refine the wildly ambitious timeline we’ve set: moving our current store and opening the new one in just five days.

Well…the universe had other plans.

I couldn’t get my phone hotspot to work, which meant no internet for eight-plus hours. So we did what people used to do on long drives—we looked out the windows.

Much of the drive winds through small towns and farmland along a two-lane road. It’s beautiful—quietly, honestly beautiful. And somewhere along that stretch, as one small town gave way to the next, it hit me why this move matters so much—in that “living small in a big world” kind of way.

When we first told customers, friends, and even employees about our move into the much larger former General Store here in Morganton, some of them cried. Truly.

“But I love this place—you can’t change it.”

“There’s nowhere else like it.”

“Are you taking the train? Please tell me you’re taking the train!”

We were surprised. It never occurred to us that the move would be anything but positive. To us, it was an expansion—an investment in our town and our downtown. A chance to create something uniquely Morganton. In our minds, it would still feel like Merrill Mischief… just bigger. More room for all the mischievously wonderful, affordable things you didn’t know you needed until you found them here.

But as we passed through those small downtowns—some faded, some holding on, some with just a few proud storefronts standing bright against a backdrop of chain stores and gas stations—I understood.

It was never just about the store.

It’s about the sense of place, the magical feeling of being in THAT place.

That feeling of community, nostalgia, and pride. The reason so many of our customers bring visiting friends and family to Merrill Mischief every single time they come to Morganton.

That’s why all of this matters. That’s why the chaos is worth it.

It’s why the coffee has to be just right (and yes, we have sampled a lot of coffee lately). Because what’s a General Store without a really good cup of coffee?

It’s why Craig is up at 4 a.m.

He's gluing and sanding those handmade counters before the day even begins. Because so many little hands will rest on them—maybe even as someone buys something with their own money for the very first time (proudly announced, of course).

And don’t worry—the train you’ve come to love, chugging along the ceiling, is coming with us. In fact, the track will be longer. You can stay a little while longer and watch it make the full loop as many times as you’d like.

We’re not losing that Merrill Mischief magic.

We’re making more of it.