A local specialty grocery store is open for business, despite nearly closing for good last month.
Prairie Town Grocery, at 601 S. Sanborn Blvd., would have closed at the end of October were it not for a new manager hired to run the business in the owners’ absence, according to Leonard Lambright, who co-owns the business with his wife, LaLainya.
Because of a family matter, the couple has decided to leave Mitchell for a time to be with LaLainya’s family in Arizona.
“It feels very good,” he said, referring to the arrangement made to keep the business open. “It feels like we accomplished something to be able to do it.”
The new manager, Ashton Connel, of Mitchell, was hired approximately three weeks ago and has been involved in a recent remodel of the interior of the store, which included changes to the lighting, ceiling and arrangement of the merchandise, Lambright said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Prairie Town Grocery plans to add a line of fresh and frozen meats this spring, Lambright said, and is working with a company in Sioux Falls to install freezer space in the store.
“It is something that will fit into our business very, very well,” he said.
The business, known for its deli meats and cheeses, has two full-time and three part-time employees, who will remain under the new manager.
Lambright said he was relieved to have found an arrangement that allows the business to stay open.
“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “As we go along, we’ll have to keep working with things, but it’s a very good feeling to be back open.”
