Store needs help
By KALEY CONNER
VICTORIA -- The Victoria grocery store, Rick's Food Store, likely will close its doors Dec. 31.
Owner Rick Weigel said he remains hopeful there still might be a way to keep it open -- either by a new buyer taking over or a rally of town support to make it a community-run store.
"There's several small towns that have done that in the state of Kansas," Weigel said. "I'm hoping that we can get that across so we can keep a grocery store in the community."
Weigel has owned the store for about 21รขÑ2 years and decided to sell after acquiring the grocery store in his hometown of La Crosse. The store employs six people, one full-time.
Weigel has distributed a memo to customers informing them of the store's pending closure and encouraging the organization of a town hall meeting to discuss the possibility of a community store.
"That's the only way I see right now that they're going to keep a store in Victoria is if it becomes a community store supported by the community," he said.
To date, no meeting has been scheduled, and Victoria Mayor Curt Unrein said Monday the city government does not have plans to organize one at this time.
"From a city standpoint, we're not doing anything at this point," Unrein said.
Weigel said the plans would not have to be made by the city council. A grassroots group of community supporters also could organize such a meeting, he said.
The store, located at 1104 Third, opened in May 2007 as Rick's. At that time, the community had been without a store for four years, Weigel said.
Weigel said he would prefer to sell the business as a whole, but if no buyers surface, the equipment will be sold first, followed by the building.
He said the store has some loyal customers, but business had started to decline after he began operating the La Crosse store. Weigel, however, said he's confident a community store could be successful.
"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they keep a store over there," Weigel said, noting Victoria would be one of the area's larger communities without its own grocery store. "But the community is going to have to step up to the plate and decide if they want it or not."