Community grocery set to open soon in Stratford
By Billie Shelton — Daily Freeman-Journal WriterArticle Photos
STRATFORD - Unless you've been living under a rock somewhere, you know that this is a challenging economic era the likes most of us have never experienced. It's evident everywhere, from the corporations laying off thousands of employees to the struggles on small town main streets.
And yet in the midst of such economic gloom and doom, a new grocery store is set to open soon in Stratford. While adding a new business to any main street in small town Iowa is no small feat these days, this store is even more of an accomplishment because it is owned by the community.
The first big step toward this ambitious goal was to raise $110,000 to purchase a building, equip it, and have some funds available for operating costs, accomplished by selling $100 shares to local companies and individuals. That goal was reached this fall.
"You can consider it a donation, but you may get a return," is how Aaron Bradley puts it.
Bradley, 26, is the manager of the new store. For the past six years he's managed the local convenience store but decided to try the new venture when he was offered the job with the new store.
"This will be a challenge," he admits with a smile, "but a fun challenge."
That seems to be the spirit that's behind this venture started by the Stratford Development Corporation as they coordinated first donations and then volunteers to rehabilitate the main street building that once again houses the Stratford Food Center at 829 Shakespeare Ave. The building has been empty for two years now since the last grocery store closed.
Bradley estimates there have been 50 to 60 volunteers who have donated hundreds of hours of labor at the building since October.
"There's been somebody here every day, some day after day," he says of the local folks who have pitched in to clean, paint, and do whatever needed to get their store ready for business. That included refinishing the old wooden floor in the building, a task Bradley says was the most daunting and time-consuming of anything the volunteers took on.
Because the building was empty when it was purchased this fall, all the fixtures and shelving had to be replaced. The equipment, cleaned up and installed now in the Stratford store, came from Roland, where the grocery store recently closed. That includes a 13-door freezer that was disassembled and moved to Stratford, where it was re-installed, all by local professionals who donated their time and skill.
Volunteers will still be around after the store opens, some who will donate their time to help with tasks such as stocking shelves. And a volunteer board of directors oversee operations of the business.
After these months of planning and labor that have propelled this ambitious project this far, "I'm anxious to sell groceries," Bradley admits on a recent weekday morning visit at the store building where the interior now has a rather expectant look about it. With the first grocery order scheduled for next week, Bradley plans to open for business in mid-January. The store will have a full meat counter, a deli, and will offer delivery service. Hours will be 8 a.m. till 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. Sunday.
"And it will help that we're partnering with the Dayton grocery store. It's a community store, too, and we'll be placing our orders together so we can both get better prices," he adds
So what does the new store manager believe will make this store successful? "People have invested their money and time here, and they want to see it succeed, so they'll shop here," he answers. "I hear a lot of talk about it, lots of excitement."
The business, he theorizes, will put a new spark on main street. It will, after all, offer much more than groceries and the convenience of shopping locally. It shows hope in tough times, determination against the odds, and what the hard work of good Iowa folks can accomplish.
