Meet Molly Gallagher | Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Molly Gallagher and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Molly, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My work life balance has significantly improved since deciding to open my own business. Teaching full time and being a parent to a young child was extremely difficult. I often had little to no time left for myself which is a large part of why I took the risk of opening Howard General in 2020. Being self-employed definitely has its challenges but it also has given me more flexibility, time, and energy for myself, my family and doing the things I love. I think now more than ever work life balance is important to me because I know the grind of capitalism isn’t going anywhere and I want to savor the time I have to enjoy life with my family, friends, and community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Howard General is a rural general store and coffee shop in Howard, CO. Howard is nestled down river from Salida, a historic Colorado mountain town on the Arkansas River in central Colorado. Since moving to Howard in 2015, my partner and I always thought there should be a place to get food and necessities without having to drive all the way to town. It’s about 12-15 miles in either direction to the nearest store and the windy canyon road can be hazardous at times. When the lockdowns began in early 2020 I was still teaching full time but I knew I was ready for a change. I decided in May of 2020 that I would open the general store we had always wanted. It felt even more important to provide access to food in our small town. It wasn’t easy because the pandemic was still happening but our local community came out to support us big time and continues to today. We opened only a walk-up window to begin with and grew from there, adding new food products week by week. By the fall we felt it was safe to open our doors to the public. We focus on providing as many locally grown, raised, or created food products as possible. Additionally, we carry products from other small businesses near and far because we want to close the gap between producers and consumers. We’ve enjoyed forming relationships with local and other small scale producers. This commitment to our immediate community of food producers and to supporting other small businesses is what sets us apart from other retailers. There have been a multitude of challenges along the way, from leaky pipes to power failures, but ultimately we’ve been able to solve them by being committed to the larger vision of what the store can and will be. Knowing that each step will take us closer to that vision.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When visiting the Arkansas River Valley…

Get lattes and local artisan salami and cheeses at Howard General (shameless plug)

Stay at Whiskey Rapids in Howard, CO or the Surf Hotel in Buena Vista.

Camp at the Sugarbush, Bighorn RV, or Cutty’s Last Resort

Hang in Salida at Riverside Park

Play at Fred Lowry Whitewater Park in Salida

Hike Hayden Creek Trail in Coaldale

Shred at Monarch Mountain

Eat at 50 Burger and Tacos El Tapatio in Salida

Drink at Wood’s Distillery, Benson’ s Tavern, and Tres Litros Brewery in Salida

Relax at Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort

Thrift & Shop at Free the Monkey, Ruby Blues, and Howl Mercantile in Salida

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Our local community deserves the biggest shoutout because they support us year round. We really wouldn’t be able to do what we love without them.

Website: www.howardgeneral.com

Instagram: @howardgeneralstore

Facebook: @Howard.General.Store