Oregon Dairy Farm Market has a grocery store, gift shop and 200-seat restaurant that serves traditional Pennsylvania Dutch-style cuisine and recipes from one of its founders.

Premier Business Partners:

Dietz & Watson, Inc.

New establishments today can say they have a direct impact on how a community comes to understand its agricultural roots, but that is exactly what the Hurst family’s intentions were when it founded Oregon Dairy Farm Market 30 years ago.

“There are not a lot of farms left, and so if people can learn something by coming out to one of our events and relax and enjoy the countryside,” Owner and General Manager Curvin Hurst says.

In 1952, Earl D. Hurst and his family purchased a farm in Manheim Township in Pennsylvania. Known to many as Mom and Pop Hurst, the two served fresh products from their farm in the small town of Oregon, Pa. After raising 10 children, in 1974, the Hursts built and operated a small dairy store. In 1979, they built a new store to support their growing business and in 1986, a cafeteria was added, which grew its popularity. Two years later, the company expanded the retail sales area and, in the spring of 1993, the cafeteria was changed into a family restaurant.

“We ran a cafeteria for four years, but then we decided to put in a 200-seat restaurant that featured Pennsylvania Dutch-style cooking,” Curvin Hurst notes. “People thought it was a great idea. Although we considered ourselves a supermarket, we added in a great gift shop and a restaurant, and we’ve become a destination location.”

Although Mom and Pop Hurst had a hand in running the business until their passing, ownership was eventually transfered to the six children who had an interest in it. Curvin Hurst was joined by four of his brothers and one sister, and today Curvin and his brother Willie manage operations, Victor remains an owner and George manages the farm.  

Becoming A Destination
Part of Oregon Dairy’s charm is that it is several unique business concepts rolled into one destination. Oregon Dairy is a retail grocery store with full-service bakery, deli, meat and dairy departments, as well as a restaurant, gift shop and small garden supply center.

The six-day-per-week operation’s supermarket features fresh, seasonal produce, which the Hursts purchase from local farmers at food auctions in the spring, summer and fall. As a full-line grocer, Oregon Dairy has everything a typical chain grocer does, plus some. The company also sells under the private label Shurfine. Hurst says its bulk food section is highly popular and economical for customers. “We have a huge bulk foods department,” Hurst says. “We do about $7,000 per week in that department. We also sell about 25 percent more milk than a similar store of this size in the area.”

The restaurant – Oregon Dairy Country Restaurant – is well-known for its large buffet, which accounts for about 20 percent of the restaurant’s total sales. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guests can also dine on made-to-order dishes featuring traditional Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, as well as other contemporary favorites, such as sweet and sour ham loaf, pork and sauerkraut, chicken croquettes and shepherd’s pie. Many of the entrees are derived from Mom Hurst’s family recipes. 

Not only does Oregon Dairy do a significant retail grocery and restaurant business, it hosts events such as pancake breakfasts, farm tours for local schools, barbeque cookouts, fundraisers, a fishing derby and the June Family Farm days in conjunction with the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce. “We’ve really tried to do a number of unique things out of the facility,” Hurst says. “Not everything that we do is about making money. It’s more about being connected in the community.”   

Situated along the Oregon Pike in an affluent township in Lancaster County, Hurst explains that Oregon Dairy caters to a diverse mix of people. “We joke that we cater to the buggies and the beamers (BMWs),” he quips.

Much like his parents had done in the past, Hurst understands that growing the business will allow it to attract additional customers. “Our long-range goal is to increase the size of our supermarket and restaurant and add a larger facility for larger groups in the restaurant,” he notes. “We might have a lot of competition, but even through the recession our prices for our restaurant items are under $10, and we have very competitive prices throughout the supermarket because of our marketing group and from our wholesaler group, Associated Wholesalers Inc.”