The store at 220 Vernon St. was nearly as old as the University of Lynchburg itself, and during its more than 100-year run, it was cherished by generations of Lynchburg students. Unfortunately, due to extensive structural damage, it was demolished on July 7, 2025.
Dr. Stephen Smith ’97, ’99 MEd, dean of the school of professional and applied sciences, appreciated the place for its convenient location and quality goods. “It’s an iconic place, … family-owned and family-operated for almost 100 years. It was a sandwich shop. You could get all your convenience items. … And the food was great!”
When Francis M. Coffey opened the store in 1908, it was originally named Westover Grocery, but everyone called it “Coffey’s Store.” It would continue to be called that until the mid-2000s, when it was renamed “Tookies.”
Coffey, a Nelson County native who ran the store until his death in 1956, was remembered in his obituary as a kindly and helpful man. Because of his popularity, he was dubbed the “Mayor of West End.”
Ken West, retired University of Lynchburg professor and former columnist for The News & Advance, remembers Coffey from the time he was six years old. West’s father grew up on College Street and knew the store owner for decades.
“We loved Mr. Coffey,” West said. “Why? Well, as children we would run every morning to visit [him]. And, as soon as he saw us he reached down and brought out candy to give each one of us! …
“I guess for us, Mr. Coffey was a man as close as one could become to Santa Claus.”
Tom Tiller ’56 remembered Coffey, who was born just three years after the Civil War ended, as “quite a character” and “sort of an old-timey person to go with an old-timey building.”
Coffey left the property to his children, and it would remain in the family until the 2000s.
Jan Sigler ’65 and Julius Sigler ’62, who met at Lynchburg College, would occasionally stop by Coffey’s Store on their way to class. It was a tiny place, but close and convenient, and it always had what they needed.
“It was much closer to walk there if you lived in Westover or Hundley,” Jan Sigler said. “You could always get a snack, ice cream, or a cold drink.”
She said she was sad to see the place go, as were many other alumni. Its demolition on July 7 led to an outpouring of emotional stories on local Facebook groups.
One user posted, “Mr. Coffey used to deliver groceries to my house in the 1950s.” Another shared that he met his wife while having lunch there in the 1960s. Still another posted, “Sad to say goodbye.”
While “Coffey’s Store” was always the unofficial name of the business, it wasn’t until 1972 that Eugene Wells purchased the property and officially changed its name to “Coffey’s Store.” Much like Coffey, Wells won the heart of the community with his kindness and generosity, according to The News & Advance.
He would let customers start tabs and rarely insisted they be paid, even after exceeding hundreds of dollars. After running the store for 22 years, Wells sold it in 1998 and died of a massive heart attack one month later.
Tom Burrowes ’93, ’21 MA, senior director of alumni and external engagement, remembers the store in idyllic terms, comparing it to “The Andy Griffith Show.”
“It was a general store — kind of a throwback,” he said. “It was all family-owned. … The Coffeys — the whole family — just loved the College. When I was there in the 90s … they had a tab system.
“So you could just pay at the end of the month. They had a little deli area, too, where you could grab a quick sandwich. Within a week, they knew exactly what you liked.”
Burrowes recalls helping with repairs at what was then called the Corner Cafe in the early 2010s.
“I helped the former owner of the Corner Cafe,” he said. “I helped rehab it when he bought that place, and as a carpenter, I know it was in bad shape even back then. … It would have needed a complete gutting to bring it up to code, and it would have been a major endeavor for us to take over.”
“The store kind of languished there for a number of years after they shut doors. Then it just sat there until the University got it.”
When the University bought the building in 2018, the plan was to use it as a lounge for the University’s commuters. It was briefly opened as the Commuter Lounge, but due to the unsafe condition of the structure, it was soon closed.
“It’s just sad to see it go,” Burrowes said.
Even though the building is no longer there, there are still plans to turn it into “a green space that students can use,” according to Michael Vaughan, assistant vice president of operations.
