ROME - When walking into the Corner Mart in Rome, something immediately catches visitors' attention - it smells like

grandma's kitchen.

The wonderful smells are enough to make visitors forget what it was they came for. This is not the average convenience store.

Along with the wide selection of grocery items, magazines and newspapers, lottery tickets and a deli, the Corner Mart offers up home-cooked meals whipped up from scratch.

"We started out with a deli and I do home cooking, that's what brought all the business in," said store manager Coral Bennett Anderson.

The Corner Mart is owned by David and Sherry Bennett of Chesapeake. Small business is nothing new to the family since they own Car Wiz in Proctorville and both Citgo stations in Chesapeake. The store opened on Dec. 31.

If the smell of the cooking isn't inviting enough, the cooks say just wait until you taste it.

Manager Coral Bennett Anderson cooks meals from scratch every morning. Anderson said she uses family recipes - keeping it all in the Bennett family. Some local favorites are her chicken casserole, pinto beans and cornbread and her meatloaf.

"I've had nutritionists from West Virginia come in and ask for my recipes," she said.

They have a hot dinner everyday, lunches for $4. Customers can also buy hot or cold sandwiches, nachos, chef salads, taco salads, pasta salads, potato salads and soups - all homemade.

"Where can you buy a hot dog for a dollar?" Anderson said.

These hot dogs are complete with homemade

sauce. And don't forget dessert - soon they plan to offer soft serve ice cream and banana splits.

The daily lunch specials are on the marquee, but customers can also call ahead to see what is on the menu and call in their lunch order if they don't have time to wait.

The Corner Mart is located at 8115 State Route 7 in Rome. Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 6 a.m. until 9 p.m, Saturday 7 a.m. until 9 p.m, and Sunday 8 a.m. until 9 p.m They are open year round.