The Shadow
“Your Bear Necessities” —or YBN to locals— is a quaint little store located at 21808 Mountain Valley Road in Millboro. The establishment, which also serves as a popular hangout spot, was purchased on July 1, 2022, by current owners Daniel Krammes and the future Mrs. Jaclyn Krammes.
As the laid-back couple — who prefer to keep things on casual, first-name basis — celebrates both their upcoming nuptials and their store’s one-year anniversary, Jaclyn sat down to discuss their “mom and pop shop” that serves as a gas station, convenience store, and deli. “The people that come for lunch stay for like two hours… it’s definitely a community store and everybody comes up and hangs out for a while and talks about news they heard from other people… The store kinda helps people stay in touch with each other.”
While Jaclyn opened up about the store and various items sold there, her fiancé, Daniel Krammes, kept himself busy, single-handedly managing the deli. He darted back and forth, flipping items on the grill outside and then preparing orders inside. Just outside the kitchen, blank order sheets are available for customers to fill out and place in the order box. This setup allows Daniel to work more quickly and efficiently, catering to each customer’s preferences.
In addition to owning “Your Bear Necessities,” the couple native to North Carolina has also owned and operated a line-striping business for the past 6 years. Jaclyn credits their store employees —Vickie Finley, who steps in to run the deli, and cashiers A.J. LaGoe and his mom, Tammy LaGoe— for all graciously helping out when needed. “The striping, a lot of it is at night… so that doesn’t really interfere here, but sometimes we do have to step away and, you know, do it during the day because it might be raining at night… Our employees here help us through juggling stuff, basically… we’re a little family here.”
“Your Bear Necessities” is open Monday-Friday from 6 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. The deli is also open each day from the time the store opens until lunchtime, or around 11:30 a.m. when the customer flow begins to slow down. Even still, Daniel prepares additional food that is kept inside a warmer on the counter before heading out for the day. Therefore, if a customer is unable to make it for lunch, there’s no need to worry! They can still purchase hamburgers and/or other food items as long as supplies last.
