Turn back the clock 15 years. Downtown Knoxville was a completely different place – devoid of people strolling the sidewalks with coffee cups in hand, cars waiting for other cars to pull out of parking spaces, or restaurants open on the 4^th of July. So much has changed since August 17, 2006.

Guess what. We opened our newest “old” location during the height of the pandemic. We were asking ourselves, “Have we gone mad?” There were so many hurdles to jump and challenges to overcome, but we had a great staff and everything was in place and ready. And it’s been open for a year now.

The heart of any city is its downtown, where restaurants, boutiques, lawyers, hair salons, theaters, and many more enjoy the bustling hum of commerce. On May 25, 2011, Main Street welcomed an unconventional new retailer to its growing chorus of Downtown Columbia institutions when the Mast General Store opened its doors.  

“The rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated.” You may be acquainted with this quote that is widely – and inaccurately - attributed to Mark Twain. Apparently, it is also being used in reference to some locations of the Mast Store. Well, we are here to report that the rumors of our closing and going out of business are, indeed, greatly exaggerated. 

This is the eighth year that Merrell and Mast General Store are partnering with our community food agencies in support of Food for Kids. They realize how important it is to give a child a good foundation to grow, to learn, and to just be a kid. From October 26th through November 8th, Merrell Footwear will make a donation to fill a backpack with weekend food for each pair of shoes purchased.

If you could do one thing that would improve a child’s self-esteem, help facilitate better behavior, and increase his or her learning potential, wouldn’t you do it? It’s easy. Just make sure that the child is not hungry. According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 children in the U.S. worry about when they’ll have their next meal.

If you could do one thing that would improve a child’s self-esteem, help facilitate better behavior, and increase his or her learning potential, wouldn’t you do it? It’s easy. Just make sure that the child is not hungry. According to Feeding America, 1 in 6 children in the U.S. worry about when they’ll have their next meal.

The Charlotte Observer praised the Original Mast Store as a notable Southeast Excursion in the Living section. Here’s what they had to say:

Join us for a humdinger of a Grand-Opening celebration at our newest "old" location in Winston-Salem! If you were there for our ribbon-cutting on Friday, May 8th, you'll know that we're very excited to be your new neighbors at 516 North Trade Street. We have a big weekend planned at Mast Store Winston-Salem and hope you'll make time to stop by and say hello!

As the birthplace of our first Mast General Store outside of Valle Crucis, we've had a love affair with Boone, North Carolina for centuries. As the home of Appalachian State University (ASU), folks are drawn to this busy college town for more reasons than an exceptional education and exciting athletic events. The surrounding area is one of the country's best destinations for outdoor adventures. Walk across the Mile High Swinging Bridge or scale Linville Peak, the highest peak in the Blue Ridge at Grandfather Mountain. Grab your bike and head to Pisgah National Forest, featuring over 200 miles of exciting trails.