The Cottage Gate is a lovely boutique gift shop located in the Westlake Town Center in Hardy,…read moreVirginia. I happened to be in the parking lot of this shopping center parking my pearl white Lexus when I saw many soap bubbles flying in the air. Naturally I went looking to see who was holding the bubble wand that was making these enormous amounts of bubbles at a time. I followed the bubbles and they led me to a bird house which seemed to have a motor inside that was producing these bubbles and this bird house was located in front of one of the most beautiful and one-of-a-kind boutique gift shop that I have ever seen.
After having been selected as number 4 of Yelp's Top 50 most prolific Elites of 2025, a year when I was also awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Photographer of the Year Award at their Yelpies 2025 Award Ceremony, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, and where last year I was awarded the Yelp Triad Squad Yelper of the Year Award, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants, businesses, and important landmarks, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And The Cottage Gate located in the WestlakeTown Center in Hardy, Virginia is a perfect example.
Inside, I was welcomed by Jennifer Davis, the Director of Operations of the gift shop, a friendly, very elegant, and distinguish-looking lady with a wonderful personality. She graciously introduced herself and explained how this gift shop had been open for over 20 years and that the name of the owner was Lisa Settle.
Later on I researched and found out that around three years ago the original owners Twila and Allen Tolley were planning to close the beloved shop or sell it and Lisa and Stan Settle purchased it in order to keep it alive. Lisa had owned a similar retail boutique in Northern Virginia about a decade ago before moving to Smith Mountain Lake, so she was delighted to take over the helm of this well loved shop by the community and visitors to the Smith Mountain Lake area alike. Even though I didn't get to meet the new owner on this occasion, her passion for the shop was present in the air. Her plan to continue the legacy of the original owners but make it her own was quite evident.
Some of Lisa's wonderful ideas that have already been implemented and I was able to observe the results has been organizing the merchandise of the shop by categories such as: clothing, jewelry, home decor, gourmet foods, toys, games, unique gifts, seasonal items, and Smith Mountain Lake souvenirs; and placing these in their individual areas within the shop. Another of her great ideas for the future is expanding the Shop's hours of operation. That way they would get the traffic from the moviegoers of the Westlake Cinema next door, before and after showtime, as well of from the Pizza Shop near by, at the same time that it makes it convenient for the community to visit the gift shop.
I invite you to view my photographs and video accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the high-quality of their merchandise, at very reasonable prices, and then go give them a visit. I can assure you their extraordinary customer service will not only win you over as a customer but also as a friend.
