CHAPIN & KEVIN FISH, proprietors –
We believe functionality and beauty should go hand in hand. The general store from generations past emanated a timeless charm and served as the hub of the community. It is our hope that Monterey General will bring that tradition into the present day and provide our neighbors, visitors and friends with a warm and inviting place to eat, shop, and gather – where everyone is welcome. We believe our businesses, Brockman Real Estate and Farm & Home, share a common theme: to help provide and create beautiful spaces that enrich the enjoyment of time spent with loved ones. Monterey General is a natural extension of those goals that we hope will enhance people’s lives and our community as a whole.
At Monterey General we will bring our businesses together, along with the addition of a café, in the beautiful and distinctive 1790’s general store in the heart of Monterey. The Café will serve a simple breakfast and lunch menu of high-quality and delicious food at affordable prices. We will use locally-sourced ingredients whenever available, and will provide the best service possible. Future expansion is likely to include scrumptious seasonal ice cream, a burger night and other unique dining events. We are currently applying for an all-pour license to enable us to provide beer, wine and a seasonal list of artisanal cocktails. As part of the Café, we also plan to stock the essentials such as milk, eggs, butter, bread, newspapers and more.
Brockman Real Estate, led by broker-owner Chapin Fish for more than 10 years, has been serving Monterey and the Berkshires for 40 years, and remains a primary focus of ours. Chapin personally has more than $165 million in residential and land sales since he joined Brockman 15 years ago and has often been the Berkshires’ #1 selling Realtor. We are excited to be returning to Monterey where we started and expanding our team of hard-working and ethical professionals dedicated to our clients and growing our services to include not only the Berkshires, but the neighboring parts of New York and Connecticut.A
Out of our real estate background grew our retail store, Farm & Home, which we started four years ago in Great Barrington. At Monterey General we will continue our commitment to offering a beautiful and carefully selected collection of well-made goods for the home, garden and farm, made primarily in the USA. We believe that the best things are handmade, “flaws” add character, stories count, and life is better when we surround ourselves with things that we love and use.
Although we have been residents of the Berkshires since 2001, our roots here deepened in 2012 when we were married in the farmhouse we lovingly renovated. Those ties extended even further now that we share our special home with our daughter Ella, and our twin boys Nate and Soren, all born in 2016 and are truly the joy of our lives. Having a young family means community is of great importance to us. With our revitalization of Monterey General, we hope to provide the area with a welcoming and engaging place for friends, neighbors and visitors to connect.
In order to realize our vision, however, the 1790 Monterey General building requires substantial repairs and renovations over the next several months. We encourage your input and ask for your support! Please feel free to contact us at hello@montereygeneral.com with your thoughts, ideas, questions and suggestions.