Another of my business stops in Lancaster County was BB’s Grocery Outlet. This is a “plain chain”, with four locations throughout southeastern PA.
BB’s actually has a website which gives you the background:
BB’s Grocery Outlet is a discount grocery chain that was started in 1986 on an Amish Farm in Lancaster County, PA. It began with the simple idea of providing quality groceries at greatly reduced prices to the local community. We specialize in offering quality salvage and surplus merchandise to our communities.
I asked my Amish friend who was with me about the store. He was not sure about the current ownership, but it sounds like there might be some outside owners beyond the original founder.
The store is large – more the size of a standard grocery store than an Amish “shop” – but definitely has an Amish feel.
But there were many non-Amish shoppers as well as Plain people browsing the aisles. The place has a large parking lot which was quite full.
From what I could tell they do sell a lot of items of the bent-n-dent or soon-to-expire category.
I picked up some snack crackers. Not a very exciting purchase, but did the trick for my rumbling stomach.
And cheap, which seems to be the one thing in common among the items for sale. Good deals here.
Many of the cashiers were Amish, as were the employees working the aisles or in the warehouse section in the back. We said hello to a couple of my friends’ friends up front and working the warehouse.
The lighting and cooling systems also indicate the Amishness of this place.
This is a skylight, common in Amish stores, and a ceiling fan which looks like it is driven by pneumatic power.
The address and hours of this Lancaster County location:
Quarryville
581 Camargo Road
Quarryville, PA
Mon. – Fri.: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
The other three locations – one each in Berks County, Lebanon County, and Cumberland County:
Morgantown (Berks County)
150 Morview Blvd.
Morgantown, PA
Mon. – Fri.: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
Schaefferstown (Lebanon County)
430 N. Market Street
Myerstown, PA
Mon. – Fri.: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
In 2012 a reader gave us a look inside this Myerstown location; he said the place reminded him of an “Amish Costco”.
Newburg (Cumberland County)
20 Quigley Road
Newburg, PA
Mon. – Fri.: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Sunday: Closed
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New Location
Good Morning. I am a property manager in the Delaware County area. We opened our food court about a year ago and and are looking for more food vendors,and a grocery store. We are open 4 days a week with the openness of being open 6 days a week. Our building is located in Chester PA. We are very interested in having the Amish come into our location. We spaces vary in size and we can custom build to your needs. Please contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. I can be reached at 610-497-4154 or my cell number 610-618-6775. Our company is DGC-Development Group Comapny
New store
Good morning from a returning to green, instead of white Wisc, 🙂
All I can say is, that’s quite the store! Here in Wisc our Amish are way more conservative than in other states. Adding machines used manually with a lever, or battery ones, are the most common. The check-out ladies have flying fingers when the list is long! Have yet to see a ceiling fan in a store. It’d be nice on a hot day with a store full of people.
When we go “Amishing” Erik as I’ve told you numerous times, what we encounter along the way is all part of the Amishing experience and remind ourselves where we are. Step back, slow down, and enjoy the day before returning to the fast lane of the cities we live in!
It wasn’t too many years ago when I used a bathroom “inside” for the first time while visiting Amish friends! What a treat it was! Ha! And then to have running hot water in the tap…it was one new thing after another! Ha!
Always fun to read a new post and the comments us reader share! 🙂
Laid Back Wisconsin Amish Store
Terry, I enjoy the laid back style of the Wisconsin Amish in Dalton, Wisconsin. Mishler’s Country store is great!
Shopping in Dalton
Hey Jeff, We’re old patrons of Mishlers and the neighboring business for many years. We’ve trotted those back roads so often we don’t even get lost anymore! Ha! When encountering shoppers at Mishlers I often ask where they hail from. It’s surprising how far people travel for a sack of flour and some fun along the way! 🙂 We have a bulk food store about 15 minutes from us, but what fun would that be to go get what you need and come home? When we head off to Kingston/Dalton its always a full day! 🙂
B is for bargains!
I am drawn like a magnet to Amish Bent & Dent stores. I’ve only been to a coup!e of them, but walked out with bargains from both. I love finding unusual (read Amish ) staples that I’d never find in my own town. The baking aisles are especially interesting to me. Wish I could shop at them regularly.
I guess you could say my Dad got me interested in bent + dents. He and his older brother, Uncle John, would make occasional runs to the Maxwell Street Market in Chicago, many years ago. He was proud of his bargains, though Ma was dubious. She was more of a “local” bargain hunter in our neighborhood. I guess bargain hunting runs in the family…other aunts, especially, were master bargain hunters. With some people, it’s more of a hobby!I
The comment about it being an “Amish Costco” rings true!
Thanks for letting us take a walk down the aisles with you, Erik!
Alice Mary
Maxwell St. Market
Hey, Alice Mary,
I remember the Maxwell Street Market. We went there when I was a little girl. What a place that was!! Wow…that has been a LONG time ago!!
Have a great day!!
Maxwell St., Chicago.
Oh the memories my brother and I have of Maxwell St! You could find anything there! We once saw an assortment of “merchandise” on display right on sidewalk. Among the goodies were a used set of false teeth. A customer was trying them on! Then there was the ever present polish sausages and trimmings! Loved them but please hold the hot peppers! I’ve never had such good polish sausage since then.
Bacon
Have you any REAL bacon? I don’t like wet cured bacon. I’d prefer a slab or side,as the trend is to thin slice. Skin on is preferred.