Tired of the Same Old Shops? Try Visiting Cockrell Mercantile

September 24, 2012

Not long ago, on a Sunday afternoon, a friend and I met at a local movie theater. As we took our seats, the room began to fill with smoke. The manager made a hurried announcement that they would be refunding everyone because of the obvious problem. Almost in unison, everyone got out their smart phones to check the showtimes at other locations. Nothing worked with our schedules, but we still wanted to do something…then we remembered hearing about Cockrell Mercantile.

If you’ve never been there, it is located in a 115 year old general store building at 30003 East Old US 50 Highway in Lee's Summit, MO. That building is called the Main Store, and there are four other buildings or cottages around it. The buildings include the Morton House (baking items), the Cockrell Cottage (candles, baby gifts, Vera Bradley handbags, home décor, and seasonal items), the Fiesta Cottage (Fiestaware dinnerware, every color and shape), the Cockrell Annex (flower pots and garden items), and the Main Store (kitchen gadgets, gourmet foods and spices, cookbooks, cookware, aprons, gift items and more).

The staff is warm and friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxed. We were greeted in the Main Store and offered a complementary tea or coffee to sip while we shopped. It was enjoyable to see so many items with a wide range of prices for all budgets. The only drawback was that we ran out of time; those 3 hours flew by!

My only purchase was a bottle of salad dressing, and it turned out to be the best I’ve ever had. It is called Vidalia Onion and Sweet Pepper Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, (which doesn’t really sound too special, but it has a hint of curry that makes it distinctive). The saleslady helping me said it was her favorite because of the taste, and also the fact that 2 tablespoons are only 40 calories. Another plus is the knowledgeable staff.

Check out their website or Facebook page for more info, and take some time for yourself this fall and enjoy a fun and unique outing!

Pam F.
Blue Springs South Branch