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Robbie Caponetto

Hospitality is a hallmark of our region, but people define it in different ways.

Is it a conversation in the checkout line?

The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Store, man and woman standing and smiling outside cheery storefront

Alexe van Beuren with her husband Kagan Coughlin, owners of The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Store.Credit:Robbie Caponetto

A bartender who knows your order before you sit down?

The way a community welcomes people who are just passing through?

As these 20 stand-outs show, Southerners go above and beyond to take care of one another.

Paducah Ambassadors - five smiling people, three women, two men, wearing red suit jackets

Paducah Red Coat ambassadors Jennie Boyarski, Robert Worden, Amina Watkins, Sue Tharp, and Owen Kim Blaisdell.Credit:Robbie Caponetto

The winners are listed in no particular order.

Expect a warm welcome from a band of volunteer ambassadors known as the Red Coats.

But how aboutthese facts?

Vintage black and white photo Publix supermarkets, couple walking out of store with baby in buggy

Credit:Courtesy of Publix

You have the rest of the day to work it off, reasons owner Selena Einwechter.

Want to enjoy the fanfare to the fullest?

The holidays here are truly something special.

Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill, white home on green lawn with trees behind

Credit:Courtesy of Bed & Breakfast on Tiffany Hill

Join me on a journey, he begins, his Southern accent all honey and warmth.

Then he will spin a saga that includes flatboats, buffalo, and The Great Fire.

Weller, E.H. Taylor Jr., Buffalo Trace, Blantons, and Van Winkle.

The Greenbrier, grand white resort with columns and elaborate grounds and lawn in front

Credit:Courtesy of The Greenbrier

There are no scripts; its all from the heart.

People welcomed me, he remembers.

He says, We invite you in no matter what you believe.

Freddie Johnson sitting at a table and smiling while holding bottle of root beer

Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace Distillery.Credit:Courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery

We mix food with the story of love to help and thank the community, he says.

We are a house for everybody.

you might still hear it today, especially in Floyd, Virginia.

Yassin’s Falafel House, purple sign with white and yellow text with name of restaurant on it

Credit:Robbie Caponetto

Outside, folks often gather in impromptu jam sessions to strum up new melodies.

But when you crave old-fashioned help from gracious staffwhich can be hard to find these daysDillardsdelivers.

Pair the food with wine from the on-property vineyard, feed roaming chickens, or hang out with alpacas.

The Floy Country Store, white building with green and white striped awning and red door on street

Credit:Cheryl Zibisky

The nearby creek teems with catch-and-release perch and a white catfish that nobodys ever hooked.

Afternoon tea, guided yoga, and culinary tastings can also be part of your days.

But above all, youll be well taken care of during your stay.

Dillard’s, black and white photo of parade outside Dillard’s department store

Credit:Courtesy of Dillard’s

They go out of their way to make you feel special, says one Texas reader.

Like a good Southerner, theyre eager to engage you in pleasant conversation but are never over-bearing.

The waiting list is long for the lottery-style admission, but campers say its worth it.

Cracker Barrel, two senior men sitting on bench on Cracker Barrel front porch and talking. Rocking chairs in background

Credit:Getty Images

Thats the delight when the Lula Drake experts start pouring.

The attention to detail is impeccable, says one reader from the area.

1635 Main Street, Columbia, SC;luladrake.com

The B.T.C.

Camp Lucy, green swivel chairs at bar with green tile and exposed wood beams

Credit:Courtesy of Camp Lucy

(Be the Change).

There are no strangers here, says van Beuren.

If youre a local, we know about your cows, your dogs, and your kids.

Mast General Store in Columbia, South Carolina

Credit: Mast General Store

If youre not, well find out why youre in town and give you friendship and advice.

Our goal is to acknowledge you when you walk in the door and take care of you."

Want to pay it forward?

Chai Pani, diners sitting in sunny restaurant eating and standing at buffet

Credit:Courtesy of Chai Pani

Hugs stands for Hope Understanding Grace Success, and the nonprofit employs people with developmental disabilities.

In the eatery, the jobs can include cooking, cleaning, or greeting and serving customers.

Everyone who works here loves the notion of matchmaking people with their next reads.

Hope Heals Camp, children of all ages holding signs that say “We have been waiting for you”

Credit:Ashley Monogue Photography

Residents knowand live byhis mantra: Slow your roll; slow your pace.

Enjoy your time in this wonderful place.

Hospitality is extended when you least expect it too.

Lula Drake Winery, man in checkered jacket and glasses standing behind bar chatting with customers over a glass of white wine

Credit:Heather Marie Photography

A perfect stranger stopped his car, handed us an umbrella, and said, Welcome to Charleston.

Then he just drove off."

A Place At The Table, woman ringing up another woman at counter of restaurant

Credit:Kate Medley

Hugs Cafe and Greenhouse, four men working on plants inside a greenhouse

Credit:Wynn Myers

Thank You Books, three women sitting and laughing inside bookshop with table of books in front of them

Thank You Books co-owners Kristen Iskandrian, Laura Lilly Cotten, and Elizabeth Cole Goodrich.Credit:Robbie Caponetto

Covington LA Yellow Home

Covington’s quaint homes and historic downtown make it a must-visit destination.Credit:COURTESY REGIONS/DOING MORE TODAY

Charleston, South Carolina drone shot of cityscape

Credit:Peter Frank Edwards