By Michaella Lesieur, Staff Writer
Are you looking for a quaint little bakery, sandwich, and ice cream one-stop-shop all within minutes from campus? Well, your wish has been granted. The Head Town Landing Country Store is settled in the picturesque town of Westport, Mass. located right on the Westport River and a short drive from Horseneck beach.
Just two miles west from UMass Dartmouth, The store is more than convenient as it features Kate’s Creamery, with over forty featured flavors and Del’s Lemonade, Green Mountain Coffee, Jim’s Organic Coffee, Coney Island Hot Dogs and my favorite, the hot and fresh homemade donuts and pastries.
The best part is that the business is family-owned and that is the feeling you will receive just within seconds of entering. “We are a family-run business, my wife and daughter work here, and provide that family atmosphere,.Most of the kids who work here are college and high school girls and they love coming back in the summer when they are done,” said store owner Rory Couturier.
Come this August will be the Head Town Landing Country Stores tenth anniversary as they opened August of 2008. With ten years under their belt, the store is always busy with regulars and newbies.
Couturier and his wife Kathleen were inspired by Butler’s, an old childhood donut shop that closed down a few years back. “As kids, we had a local donut place called Butler’s, who closed their operation ten years ago,” said Couturier. “Everyone knew how good they were and our goal was to make the best donut, with the best ingredients.”
The word on the street is now everyone comes in and swears the store has the matching recipe and after three years of selling the donuts, they still have new people who come in every day.
The store has been frying and frosting homemade donuts for three years now. Townies and Tourists, as their customers are called, can enjoy the sweet treats Thursday through Sunday. Each one not only looks good but tastes even better. As you take a bite they are moist and fluffy and the sugar melts away on your tongue.
It is hard for me to pick a personal favorite, but the apple and cake donuts are the best I have ever tasted.
Another favorite of mine that brings you back to your childhood is the penny candy, with The Head Town Landing Country Store housing the town’s largest variety of penny candy.
From gummy bears and gummy worms to licorice and lollipops, the jars are piled high with all your old fashioned favorites.
The store is also located right across the street from Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures, where explorers can go kayaking across the Westport River, at sunrise, mid-day, or sunset, which is a perfect opportunity for students to take a day trip.
Students can spend some time sightseeing on the river and then going to enjoy a treat over at the Head.
They have a whole landscape of Adirondack chairs and picnic tables overlooking the river, making this spot a picture-perfect break from campus.
“It is definitely worth the extra trip,” said Couturier. “We have made the store a destination place where people can come in and slow down for a little while, sit down with a cup of coffee and donut, or ice cream, while using our lawn facility and just relax and sit by the river.”
I can promise you that any student who takes the time to travel on down to this riverside gem, will be sure to return over and over again and love it as much as I do.