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CHURCH HILL—The Church Hill Variety general store and restaurant is closed for the summer but will reopen this fall — in time for hunting season — with more seating and a more comfortable, air-conditioned space.

“We are enclosing the porches to have more seating inside. We have limited seating inside and it is just so hot in the summer. People don’t want to sit on the porch when it is so hot,” said Angel Roberts. Roberts and her husband, Robert VanNewkirk, are owners and managers of Church Hill Variety.

The couple also owns and operates Field and Forest, located just down the road from Church Hill Variety. Field and Forest consists of a main historic home, luxurious grounds, and dependencies on 100 acres. The entire property is available for rent for weddings, group retreats, or other curated events.

Church Hill Variety, located at 13411 River Road, is across the street from the historic Christ Church, 57 Church Hill Road. As such, it is a popular wedding shower and reception venue. The restaurant and property remain available for events during this summer. In addition, American Cruise Lines has contracted with Church Hill Variety to provide lunch for its tour buses at the restaurant three days per week through the summer.

“It’s hard to have a consistent crowd in the summer when there is so much seating on an outdoor porch. We have seats inside for so few people. In order to make money, we need to be able to seat 100 people comfortably. Last summer was rough,” Roberts said.

Special events, like private parties and a supper club are planned for this summer, also.

“Just stay tuned. We are starting a supper club and we might have a Father’s Day brunch. We will definitely keep people posted on Instagram and Facebook. Knowing a little bit more about the number of people who will attend will allow us to provide a premium experience,” she said.

The Church Hill Variety store, which provides an eclectic mix of gifts and specialty food brands, will also continue. In fact, Roberts said it is now open for those on the American Cruise Lines tour buses.

“When we open back up in the fall, the store will focus more on gifts,” she said. “We look forward to making improvements and adding more seating and air conditioning this summer and seeing everyone again during hunting season.”