A staple in Stanly County since its first shop opened in Oakboro in 2019, Main Street Cup and Cone announced major changes on social media last week to two of its three locations.

The Oakboro shop, at 325 N. Main St., will soon close its doors, the location posted on its Facebook page, though it did not provide any additional details on when that would be.

“We are so sad to be making this post, but sometimes you have to step back and let God do his thing,” the business wrote. “When one door closes another door opens…We are going to put our faith in God and see what doors he will open for us.”

“We have been so honored and humbled being your local coffee and ice cream shop over the past few years,” it continued. “So many memories and friendships have been made. We appreciate every single one of you who have supported us.”

Owner Paul Hinchliffe runs the three ice cream shops with the help of his four daughters Merideth, Bethlahem, Elaina and Samantha. 

The Albemarle shop, which first opened 2021 and includes a drive-through option, also posted on its Facebook page that Hinchliffe and his family are stepping away but that there “will be new owners who plan on continuing to serve the same coffee and ice cream as we did just under a new name.”

The Albemarle shop, located along N.C. Highway 24-27 inside the Sun Plaza Shopping Center, added: “We ask that you continue to support our Locust location in hopes that our last standing location will survive!”

The business, which offers around 40 flavors of ice cream along with an assortment of coffee and other drinks, opened the Locust shop in 2020.

Paul Hinchliffe with two of his daughters Bethlahem and Merideth.

The SNAP has reached out to both locations for comment but has not yet heard back.

When the SNAP first talked with Hinchliffe in November 2019, shortly after he opened the Oakboro location, he said he hoped Main Street Cup and Cone would become a gathering spot for the community. 

“It’s not our coffee house,” he said. “It’s Oakboro’s coffee house.”