CABOT – Michael DeLacy was nine years old when his parents, Donald and Mary Lou DeLacy, bought land on Urban Road in Cabot in 1978 when it was still a wooded lot. In his own words, “I’ve been coming up here ever since,” said DeLacy.
In a recent interview with the Cabot Chronicle, Michael talked about closing on the Cabot Village Store July 27, and shared how his current ownership came to be.
“. . . the first thing I should make clear is that this is a family venture. It’s me and my brother Stephen and my brother’s wife, Holly, who are all involved with the ownership and operation of the store.”
DeLacy’s parents both grew up in Boston, purchasing the Urban Road lot with the desire to build a little cabin, “And we did just that. And then, when they retired, around 1996 or 1997, they built a home and started living there for longer stretches.”
Eventually, his parents were year-round Vermonters. A couple of years ago, DeLacy moved up from Massachusetts to Cabot permanently, selling his landscaping business in order to help his parents age in place. “My brother and I wanted to be there for them, much like they were for us. It wasn’t an obligation so much as it was something that was natural for he and I [sic] to do for them. Plus, they live here. I mean, how bad is it? It’s a wonderful place to be and live.”
DeLacy was first interested in acquiring the store several years ago. Having a casual conversation with former owner Bobby Searles, Michael was factoring in his goal to permanently move to Vermont. “So I said, ‘Hey, if you’re ever interested in selling the store, let me know.’ And so, when the time came and I knew I was moving up here, I reached out again. We had our ups and downs, but we made it happen,” he recalled.
While he has no previous background in running a general store, he spent some time managing a few small restaurants as well as running his own landscaping business, “. . . there were no career choices that prepared me for owning this store, and it’s been an incredible experience for me.”
He talked about how grateful he is for the community support he and his family have received thus far. “People have been so sweet about the whole thing. And I think a lot of it is cachet from folks knowing and loving my parents. And I also think people are pleased that the store is run by someone who has been somewhat a part of the community and now fully part of the community, somebody who knows a little Cabot history.”
Running the store well is no easy feat, DeLacy admits. “I’ve come to understand that the people of Cabot love bananas. They love them! . . . Last week I didn’t order enough, and so we didn’t have bananas for a while.”
He emphasized how grateful he was to the Searleses throughout the transition, “Bobby and Stephanie, of course, have been extremely helpful and incredibly generous with their time and expertise.”
Michael further commended the store’s former owners, reflecting on the critical role the village store has played for the community, “We are just another family in a long line of families
that have owned the village store. And there will be families after us, and what’s important is the store and its place in the community, and not who runs it. But, I think again it should be acknowledged the fact that the Searles kept it open despite all the difficulties with the floods and Covid-19 and whatever else came along in their own lives and in the town. They kept that store open 365 days a year for twenty years. And that’s an amazing feat. And if I could achieve that goal, I would be very happy. Whatever else I can add would be gravy, but keeping the store open like they did would be a great accomplishment.”
The Cabot Village Store at 3109 Main Street is open seven days a week, opening at 7 a.m. every day except 8 a.m. Sunday, and closing at 7 p.m., except 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 5 p.m. Sunday.
Significant portions of this story first appeared in a September 2025 Cabot Chronicle story by Jeanne Johnson.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
