The old general store on Route 28a in West Shokan—which has been around in one form or another since 1917, when construction of the Ashokan Reservoir transformed the region—is poised for a new chapter. 

Whether you know it as Skin’s Place, the American General Store, or, most recently, Marty’s Mercantile, the vacant shop on Route 28a has long held a special place in community life.

Now Marta and Jeremy Baumann hope to add to that legacy. The couple plans to reopen the site in February as a breakfast cafe offering an affordable option for local workers.

“Our focus is to be a place for locals,” Marta said. “We understand how expensive this area can be. When we relocated here we asked ourselves, ‘Do we want to spend $20 on breakfast?’ The answer was no.”

The Baumann’s, originally from Texas, moved to New York City in 2005 and made West Shokan their home in 2023. Marta, 46, co-owns an e-commerce site called Esembly that sells sustainable baby-care products. Jeremy, 47, is a freelance video editor and will serve as the cafe’s cook. 

Their new venture, the “Good Friend Cafe,” will open at 6:30 a.m. and close around mid-afternoon. The menu will include egg sandwiches, tacos, and their signature Texas-style biscuits. A grab-and-go station will offer premade sandwiches, and the shop will carry a small selection of staples such as eggs and milk. The couple also hopes to collaborate with local organizations, including the Olive Free Library, on community events.

“We are trying to keep it a small operation at first,” Marta said. “Our motto is, keep it simple and keep it really good.”

Despite the location being empty for several years after Marty Lynch and Sarah Hemmingway Lynch ran Marty’s Mercantile from 2017 to 2023, there is a history of the “simple and good”  formula working at the location.

Former Olive Supervisor Lester “Skin” Davis operated the general store and gas station with his wife from 1931 until his death in 1980. The gas pumps were removed in the late 1990s, and later venues saw mixed success. 

Janette Kahil, a lifelong Olive resident who has assisted the Olive Free Library with local history projects, said Davis thrived in part because of conditions that no longer exist.

The IGA in Boiceville on Route 28 did not open until the late 1970s, and the focus shifted from locals to weekenders and tourists, Kahil said.

“We had no supermarket back in the day, so you went to Skin Davis’,” Kahil said, noting that his simple offerings—“milk, beer, cigarettes”—were key. “But after that, it turned into the kind of place that appealed to the weekenders. A little more gourmet. Now it has to cater to both.”

Barbara Mansfield, incoming Town of Shandaken supervisor, and her husband Phil found some success at the site in the mid-2000s operating the American General Store. She believes the Baumann’s new venture could serve a community need.

“There is no gathering center in West Shokan anymore,” Mansfield said. The location, she added, used to be “a vital hub” where residents would meet and discuss local happenings.

The Baumanns lease the space from Marty and Sarah Lynch. Sarah was recently elected to the Olive Town Board. 

“At the beginning, it will be a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” Marta said. “I know this place has had a lot of turnover, but I feel like we have a better chance here than out on Route 28. We are so grateful that we discovered West Shokan.”

Jim Rich is a senior reporter for The Overlook. You can reach him at jim@theoverlooknews.com.