Special to Iredell Free News

Iredell Community Outreach Association (Iredell COAST) announced its plans on Tuesday to open the Hidden Gem Variety Store later this year.

Hidden Gem will be the new home of the Iredell COAST. The move to 833 North Center Street in the Forest Heights Shopping Center later this spring is the result of an effort to find a long-term location after being forced to vacate the East Broad Street location.

The Hidden Gem Variety Store will also be the home of the Iredell COAST’s Community Food Bank, which serves thousands of community members each year.

“It’s been a tough few months as we’ve tried to navigate a sudden move and find our long-term home. We’re pleased to open a new concept store in the building that served as the original home of the Iredell COAST,” said Iredell COAST Executive Director Joshua McCrary. “The impact we’ve had on our community over the course of our three-year existence has been wonderful.

“Our goal is to continue to provide affordable merchandise and ‘hidden gems’ to the general public, while raising money to support our community food bank and other community outreach. We’re excited to move into our permanent location as we’ve seen an almost 90 percent drop in our support since making the temporary move to our current location, which is primarily due to the size of the building which limits our offerings.”

Iredell COAST is making a significant investment to renovate the existing space, which has been empty since the organization moved out of the building in 2021. The goal is to be completely ready for the public by May, McCrary said.

Iredell COAST will close its temporary shop on East Broad Street when Hidden Gem opens. A grand opening celebration will be announced at a later date.

LEARN MORE

For the most up to date information about Iredell COAST, visit IredellCOAST.com or “like” Iredell COAST on Facebook.