"I want to hear from the community about what they want, what they need and what will work best for them," Chuck Royce told the Greenwich Sentinel in early September, shortly after his family and the Brumberg family bought the Round Hill Store and the Round Hill Service Station next door.
On the evening of September 23, the community answered. More than 50 people came to the parlor of Round Hill Community Church, and more than 100 had already replied to an email survey. Most of what they asked for was continuity. The one change they pressed for had little to do with the store's shelves or menu. It was about the corner the store sits on.
A sale that bought time before it bought a plan
The property transferred on August 26, 2026. It ended 111 years of Strain-family ownership that began in 1915, when William Strain bought the store. Four generations of the family owned and operated it from then on. Most recently it was owned by five sisters, all great-granddaughters of William Strain. The store was established in 1801, and the Sentinel reports it is believed to be Connecticut's oldest continuously operating retail business. Royce and Brumberg are only the fourth ownership group in its 225 years.
The buyer is a nonprofit, the Round Hill Preservation Society, which Royce and Brumberg created for the purchase. According to the Round Hill Association's account of the meeting, the deal had been in discussion with the Strain family for two years. The owners' stated main goal "always was, and is, to protect the location from unwanted development." The society also plans to ask neighbors directly to help fund the project. Patch reported that the sale price was not immediately clear.
That order explains the meeting. The first priority was securing the site. The program for it is being written afterward, partly by the people who stop in for coffee.
The new owners have local ties. The RHA account notes that Royce is moving to Round Hill Road from Riverside, and that Brumberg lives in backcountry and serves on both the RTM and the RHA Board of Directors.
Who runs the counter now
For now, the answer is the same people. Robin Strain Vanacore runs the Round Hill Store. Sandy Strain Regan and her brother-in-law, John Wood, run the service station, and the two remain separate businesses. Patch reported that Vanacore stays on as the store's tenant and that Wood will keep operating the station while the owners consider its future. Greenwich Free Press also reported that the store would remain under its current management.
Vanacore was candid with Patch about the building. She said the store needs major renovation and cosmetic work, and she hopes to expand its food service while an architect assesses the options. Her public comment on the sale was warm. "We are thrilled that the Round Hill Preservation Society will be the new stewards of this significant location, a Round Hill landmark since 1801," she said.
What the owners put on the table
At the church, Royce and Brumberg described two stages. The first is short-term: improve and "polish up" what exists today. The second is longer-term: reconfigure the property and plan any new development the area needs.
The Preservation Society is considering a Round Hill Village Center. As described, it would offer:
- A café with seating and gourmet coffee
- A selection of quality prepared foods
- Space for small gatherings
The account presents other pieces as possibilities: other small buildings for pizza, ice cream, flowers or other specialty products; outdoor seating; and meeting space on the second floor of the current store building.
Even the core of the concept is at the "considering" stage. No café opening date has been announced, and none of the coverage describes changes to store hours or a revised menu. The RHA describes these as preliminary thoughts.
The survey results, as the Sentinel reported them, already pointed to the central tension. Residents asked for coffee, high-quality food and café surroundings. They also wanted food to stay affordable for the local working patrons who rely on the store, and some wanted upscale options too.
What neighbors asked to keep, and the one thing they asked to change
The requests recorded by the Round Hill Association are notably modest. Read together, they describe a store residents want kept largely as it is.
| Request from the September 23 meeting | Keep or change |
|---|---|
| Keep the service station, with John and Hector if they want to stay | Keep |
| Keep the deli sandwiches for lunch customers who work in backcountry | Keep |
| Continue stocking household items | Keep |
| Preserve antiques such as the old cash register and the trains | Keep |
| Add a U.S. Post Office drop box in or near the store | Add |
| Remove parking in front of the store, which blocks visibility at the corner, while providing enough parking for more customers | Change |
| Add signage, lights or a crosswalk to slow traffic on Round Hill Road | Change |
The sandwich request is about who actually uses the store. The RHA notes that lunch customers who work in backcountry have been "a big part of the store's customer base." The Sentinel describes the store as a daily meeting place for neighbors, tradespeople, cyclists and visitors passing through backcountry. It also notes that the station has its own loyal clientele and repairs everything from vintage cars to newer foreign and domestic models. A café menu priced only for weekend visitors would serve a different crowd.
The post office request has history behind it too. From 1830 to 1901 the store housed the local post office. It originally stood on the southwest corner of Round Hill and Old Mill roads as a stagecoach stop, and the building was later moved across the road to its current spot. A drop box would return a small piece of the store's old role. Bookkeeping journals from 1861, recording Civil War-era purchases and prices, are still inside the store.
The two requests that call for real change both concern traffic and sightlines. Residents want the parking moved off the front of the store and something done to slow cars on Round Hill Road. These requests also conflict with each other. A village center with a café and outdoor seating would bring more visitors to a corner that neighbors already say is hard to see. Residents asked the owners to fix the visibility and add enough parking for those extra customers at the same time. Any second-stage plan will have to solve both.
Saturday is the first full day at the corner under new owners
The Round Hill Association's Neighbor Day falls on Saturday, October 3, and the store is part of it. The day's program includes cider and homemade donuts at the Round Hill Store. Other stops along the route:
- Trails: the Audubon trails, the Greenwich Land Trust's Mueller Preserve, and a self-guided tour of the GRTA Nichols Preserve
- Food and drink: a mimosa at the Griff, treats at Happiness Is, and a wine tasting at The Study Fine Wine & Spirits
- Music: a concert at North Greenwich Congregational Church
- Families: a firetruck to climb on, pumpkin decorating, fall crafts, a petting zoo and an obstacle course
- Also on the program: a fitness activity and a chance to hear about plans for Greenwich Equestrian
New this year, 367 Round Hill Road is hosting a private viewing of the Museum of Democracy Wright Family Collection of American presidential campaign memorabilia. The exhibit is titled "We the People: Electing the American President" and covers contests from George Washington to Donald Trump.
There is one schedule change. Greenwich Audubon moved its Hawk Watch Fest to October 3 because of the nor'easter, so it now falls on the same Saturday. Tickets bought for the original date will be honored. Tickets must be bought online in advance, and none will be sold at the door. The festival includes live raptor presentations, naturalist-led hawk identification workshops, music by Tommy Siegel and Billy Libby of Extremely Accurate Birds, and pizza from Grigg Street Pizza. Because of the move, the RHA canceled its Neighbor Day Tailgate Finale, which had been set for 4 to 5 p.m. at Greenwich Audubon.
The rest of October on Round Hill Road
- Sunday, October 4, 3 p.m.: Student Talent Show at Round Hill Community Church, 395 Round Hill Road
- Wednesday, October 7: RHA candidate debate at Round Hill Community House
- October 29: RHA Halloween party at St. Barnabas Church, free and open to everyone
The owners have asked for input before they finalize anything. Round Hill Association President Brendon DeSimone opened the September 23 session, introduced the owners and shared some of the survey findings. On Saturday, the donuts will come from a counter still run by a Strain great-granddaughter.
Historic backcountry properties rarely change hands, and their transfers call for the same care the Round Hill Preservation Society is taking now: patience with the community, respect for what earlier owners built, and a clear view of what the land should become. If you are weighing the future of a property with that kind of history, The Sarsen Team offers discreet guidance on land, stewardship and timing. Request a confidential consultation.
