When Alex and Caileen Ostenson moved from the Twin Cities to Evansville, Minn., five years ago to be closer to family, the local grocery store had recently closed after more than seven decades in business.
The nearest town with a supermarket is 20 miles away.
So in early 2020, the couple started brainstorming ideas that would allow them to operate a store in the town of 600 about two hours northwest of Minneapolis.
“We had just been hearing a lot from people, ‘It would be nice if we had a grocery store back in town. That’s something we really miss,’ ” recalled Caileen. “That is a staple. It’s a cornerstone part of a community.”
So, with help from local donations, the couple remodeled a main street storefront into a self-serve grocery store.
When the local grocery store closed after seven decades in business, residents of Evansville, Minn., had to drive 20 miles to the nearest supermarket.
Now, thanks to a self-serve grocery store, the town has access 24 hours a day.https://t.co/bVBOWnBGoW
— NPR (@NPR) July 15, 2022