Home of Grandma Cookie
By Ersin Ozer, Explorebigsky.com Contributor
Country Market first opened in 1974
and was purchased by Lynne and Steve
Anderson nearly 10 years ago.
“People laugh when they ask, ‘So,
what were your qualifications to run
a grocery store?’ Lynne (aka Grandma
Cookie) says. “I tell people, ‘I had six
kids and I shopped and cooked a lot!’”
The Andersons first visited Big Sky in
1978. “I fell in love with this place,”
Lynne says. “We had been chasing
snow for years.”
But they stayed in Rhode Island until
the youngest of their children left for
college, then purchased the store and
pursued their dream of living in Big
Sky.
Since then, Country Market has
evolved and is now a member of Associated
Food Stores. A building expansion
in 2008 allowed the addition of
5,000 new products—including more
specialty and international items, as
well as quality inexpensive goods.
“We like to say our motto is that we offer
a little bit of a lot of things,” Lynne
says.
Online shopping is also available
at bigskygrocery.com and includes
refrigerator-stocking services for outof-
town guests. Lynne, an avid local
shopper and community enthusiast,
recommends online shoppers also
come visit the store and explore the
neighboring businesses in the Meadow
Village Center.
As for local residents, the Country
Market’s mission is to be Big Sky’s
hometown grocery.
“We love to see people every day,”
Lynne says. “If a customer doesn’t get a
smile, we’ve failed.”
The store is also embedded in local
events. Its softball team has held the
second place title for two consecutive
seasons. “This year I hear we’re going
to be first,” Lynne says.
So how did the nickname Grandma
Cookie originate? Lynne gives free
cookies to children when they say,
“hello, Grandma Cookie!”
“We tell everyone about it,” she says.
“Kids will come down from skiing in
the winter, come in and say ‘where’s
Grandma Cookie?’”
Country Market is open year round,
even on holidays, and is located in the
Meadow Village Center across from
Lone Peak Brewery. For information
visit bigskygrocery.com or call (406)
995-4636.
