This New Combo Gear Store-Deli Offers Hiking Essentials From Backpacks to Bagels

We’ve heard of combination stores like Baskin Robbins/Dunkin Donuts or Taco Bell/Pizza Hut. But there’s another new interesting combination that has just started its journey. Behold The Happy Goat, a deli/hiking gear store. Recently launched at Tazewell in Virginia, the combo store covers all your needs for your hiking trips, as well as those pre-hike, mid-hike, and post-hike cravings.

What it Offers

The Happy Goat offers quality hiking accessories like backpacks, stoves, boots, Komperdell trekking poles, Camelbak hydration bottles and packs, ENO hammocks, Farm to Feet socks, and many more. Alongside the gear, there’s a range of deli items including salads, sandwiches, soups, grab-and-go snacks, traditional deli sides, and drink options. According to business owner duo Vince and Lucie D’Amato, the store is also a great spot to meet friends, catch a football game, or use your computer for working or just chilling.

The Motto

According to the official website of The Happy Goat, the deli/hiking gear store focuses on community connection, celebrating hiking, Tazewell, and Appalachian communities. The state of Virginia is rich in hiking trails, suitable for all levels. Several trailheads of top Appalachian trails are also located at just an hour or two drive distance from Tazewell. As for the unusual name, it was an easy decision for the D’Amatos. Goats eat a lot and hike a lot. And as Tazewell is a lively livestock community, no other name would go better with their business concept.

Funding

The D’Amatos purchased the brick-and-mortar for their combo deli/gear store in January 2021, at Main Street in Tazewell. They started renovating the building by replacing the roof, installing new floors, upgrading the plumbing and electrical systems, and adding new exterior windows. Then, fortunately, they got a great $10,000 grant from VCEDA or the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Seed Capital Matching Grant. The Happy Goat was one of the 13 selected business endeavors in the state to earn this amount of economic boost from VCEDA.