LUMBERTON — The walls of Mustang Sally’s General Store are crowded with leather horse saddles and handicrafts. Customers are greeted by Oscar, a stuffed moose who keeps an eye on things from a shelf lined with bags of cornmeal.

The store, named partly after the hit song by Wilson Picket, is run by Debbie Tutts and her family. A native of Illinois, Tutts focuses on selling locally-produced animal feeds, jewelry and soaps at the business, which is located at 4840 Old Whiteville Road in Lumberton.

“It’s a vision that I’ve had for a couple of years to open a feed store,” Tutts said. “I was looking for locally produced animal feeds and the closest one I could find was in Benson. After the one around here closed, I thought it would be a great niche. We also wanted to sell some local crafts and food items.”

Before becoming Mustang Sally’s General Store, the building was home to Antioch Groceries. The 65-year-old property went on the market more about a year ago.

“I think there was a big void in this community because this was a retail space for so long,” Tutts said. “Folks were just anxious for there to be anything here. We’re happy to fill the void and add a dimension.”

Antioch groceries focused on selling gasoline, which Tutts hopes to bring back. For now, the general store stocks feed for horses, rabbits and other critters. There are quilts, knitted caps and wreaths on display and a cafe that serves American Indian cuisine.

Tutts’ daughters, Amanda and Andrea Tutts and Arin Pittman, work at the store along with Arin’s husband, Tim. The mother, who works full-time at Chemours near Fayetteville, says she couldn’t run the store without her family.

“We are able to cover all of our needs here,” she said. “Andrea and Arin will make the runs to pick up feed in Benson and we do deliveries of hay as well.”

Tutts’ hopes to engage and collaborate with the community, bringing them the products that they want with the friendliness that comes along with a family business.

In the future, she plans to add a pool table to the shop and perhaps use the facility for a young adult ministry to bring a Christian element. She hopes that the business can expand with new locations and employment opportunities for Lumberton residents.

Mustang Sally’s General Store is open form 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays. For information on Mustang Sally’s General Store, visit the store’s Facebook page by searching for “Mustang Sally’s General Store.”

Gabrielle Isaac | The Robesonian Debbie Tutts says that most of the items sold in her store are locally produced. She said that she hopes to continue to work with local artists and crafters for commission.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_IMG_0095.jpgGabrielle Isaac | The Robesonian Debbie Tutts says that most of the items sold in her store are locally produced. She said that she hopes to continue to work with local artists and crafters for commission.

Gabrielle Isaac | The Robesonian Mustang Sally’s General Store, located at 4840 Old Whiteville Road in Lumberton, is a craft store sandwiched between a cafe and general store. The general store sells animal feed and basic grocery items, the craft store sells homemade wreaths, knitted items and quilts, and the cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
https://www.robesonian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_BeFunky-Collage.jpgGabrielle Isaac | The Robesonian Mustang Sally’s General Store, located at 4840 Old Whiteville Road in Lumberton, is a craft store sandwiched between a cafe and general store. The general store sells animal feed and basic grocery items, the craft store sells homemade wreaths, knitted items and quilts, and the cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
| General store offers feed for animals

By Gabrielle Isaac

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Gabrielle can be reached at 910-816-1989 or on Twitter @news_gabbie.