WOODBINE, Iowa (KMTV) — In August, Foodland in Woodbine suffered a devastating fire. Almost immediately, though, the owners vowed to rebuild. I met with owners, Dina Corbett and her son John, to talk about their plans to rebuild a store that's been part of their 79-year-old family business.
- Keeping a grocery store is a crucial part of the economic vitality of small, rural towns.
- Small stores, owners say, can respond to community needs more easily than big chain stores.
- One important item saved from the fire? The iconic neon sign that Dina Corbett's parents had made for their original store. Omaha Neon is currently restoring it.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Grocery stores in small towns are vital. I’m Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter Katrina Markel in Woodbine. This is the site of Foodland. It burned down about three months ago, but I just met with the owners who told me about their plans to rebuild.
Dina Corbett’s parents started Foodland in Woodbine in 1945.
“I started cashiering when I was four. I stood on a wooden milk crate,” said Dina.
Her son, John, is the third generation to run the family business. It’s expanded to five grocery stores in rural Iowa and a pharmacy.
“I remember crawling through grocery store aisles,” John said.
I was in Woodbine after the fire swept through Foodland in August — the town’s only full-service grocery store.
Now, the damaged structure is down and the Corbetts are ready to rebuild; grateful for the outpouring of community support.
“Just hearing how much the store means to everybody. Has been – it's been really great to hear,” said John.
I’ve covered this issue a lot: small towns at risk of losing their grocery stores.
At a recent event, Kevin and Tracey Fox, owners of Countryside Market in Minden, told me they respond to customers in ways chain stores cannot.
“If you have a sick child in the middle of the night, you can call us,” said Tracey Fox. “We’ll open up the store so you can get the Tylenol you need.”
And they can respond to feedback from neighbors about products and prices.
“The larger chains have a hard time doing that. Especially on the individual location level,” John said.
Roughly 13 emergency agencies from different towns responded to the fire with instructions from the county: save the iconic neon sign.
John: “It was very touching.”
Omaha Neon is now refurbishing it.
“They did ask us if we wanted to make it LED instead of the Neon and, like, ‘No.’ It has to just be the neon,’” Dina said.
“I don’t think the community would be very happy if we didn’t keep it,” said John.
John says they’ll construct a manufactured building, a modernized version of the one his grandpa built.
Weather permitting, he hopes the town will have a new store in May.
