Trading Post by Traber Ranch Serves Downtown Through Meats and More
Photos by Ashlee Glen
Whether you are looking for expertly crafted coffee, Wagyu beef, or anything in between, Trading Post by Traber Ranch has got you covered.
This family business, which opened in October 2023, seeks to combine variety with convenience to ensure that everyone who enters the store finds something for them.
Sporting a Texas theme complete with a stuffed bull’s head on the wall, Trading Post affords Lynchburg residents the luxury of relaxing in a coffee shop environment while simultaneously offering a wide variety of items similar to what one would typically find in a convenience store. Yet, while convenience stores typically include a high markup on items such as eggs and milk, Trading Post aims to sell these at prices almost identical to that of the local grocery store.
Owners Peter and Melanie Traber originally opened the shop to sell their 100-percent pureblood Wagyu beef from their cattle farm, Traber Ranch, which is run with the help of their son and daughter-in-law in Amherst County. The emphasis of the business slightly altered, however, once they realized the potential Trading Post had for serving the downtown Lynchburg community.
The connected coffee shop offers specialty drinks such as coffee and “bull-rush” energy drinks (with myriad syrup flavors to add) as well as baked goods.
Fans of Italian cuisine will also be thrilled to learn that the Trading Post offers imported pasta from Philadelphia’s Talluto’s, which Peter Traber describes as the “best ravioli you have ever had.” The store also includes frozen options of several different cuisines such as Mexican, Indian, and Chinese.
“[Trading Post] is a place where you can get all of those things,” Peter said. “We wanted to have a place that people in the neighborhood could go to without driving out to a large supermarket as well as a community place where people could gather for coffee.”
The Trabers said that offering such a wide variety of options allows customers to limit the number of shopping trips they have to make.
“It’s a unique store. It’s not your typical anything and I think that we are imbibing our character into the store,” Peter said. “We found that we actually don’t have to shop anywhere else during the week.”
In addition to the Trading Post itself, the Trabers plan to use the property for two additional functions. The 6,000-square-foot basement will be transformed into a sports bar complete with pool tables, darts, and beer and wine sales (the store currently sells alcohol for offsite consumption). The upstairs room behind the coffee shop will be primarily utilized as a rentable event space for weddings and other large gatherings.
Trading Post by Traber Ranch is located at 1222 Main Street in Downtown Lynchburg. For more information visit tradingpostbytraberranch.com.
