Long Live the Local Independent Grocery Store!

I remember going with Daddy or Mama or Unc to shop in Harvey Greenlee's Grocery Store when it was located in one of the old buildings on the almost-square of Kilmichael. The candy display was little people height, and all that sugary goodness was spread out to greet the little people as they came in the front door.

The Zero candy bar was the seduction I could not resist. Remember those? Often, a Mountain Dew or Grape Nehi Hi made for a memorable sugar high when combined with the Zero candy bar.

Even now I can feel the texture of the old wooden door and hear the jingle of the understated bell on the door. I remember the soft hollow thud as I stomped up the ramp that made the store wheelchair accessible, long before there were laws mandating such accommodations.

I remember the refreshing cold blast as I followed one of my big people past the refrigerated meat counter. The fruit in the refrigerated fruit display was about nose high, and I can still smell the oranges and bananas. All those bright colors drew me like a fruit fly.

Mr. Harvey and his wife, Miss Sara, were always so friendly, smiling and speaking to everyone, including children.  Now, forty years later, I appreciate that they taught respect by giving even little tykes respect.

Mr. Harvey and Miss Sara are gone now. Their son Larry Greenlee and his business partner Larry Bamberg own and operate the Kilmichael landmark.

Larry and Larry. The Larry's. I'm sure they have heard all the possible jokes.

The little grocery store moved out of the old building and into a larger, new metal building across the street from the Baptist Church back in the 1970's.

I've been in little charming community grocery stores from Seaside, FL, to Washington, D.C., and many spots in between. You just cannot build the authentic charm one finds in a community grocery store that has grown up with its customers.

Who would not prefer to shop where there is a little dog house with soft bedding near the front of the store? I assume it is for the current adopted stray to stay during cold weather. Apparently the dog comes to work with one of the Larry's, putters around and visits with the customers outside during the day, and then waits by the pickup to go home with his master at night. See the step stool in the second picture?.

For as long as I can remember, older folk, shut-ins, could call in a grocery order, and Larry would have it pulled from the shelves, charged and delivered to their home. Again, a little tyke like me observing this in bits and pieces when I was in the store, learned from that respect of widows and shut-ins by their example.

On many occasions, we have called and asked one of the Larry's what kind of food tray had not been ordered for a particular local funeral. Their advice kept the grieving family from having to do something with, for example, ten trays of sliced ham.

Do the Super Walmart's do that? HA!

Then Larry and Larry have managed to evolve the store to keep up with the too-busy-to-cook crowd in a small rural community where good cooks outnumber the civilian population.

Rotisserie chicken, cooked hams, beautiful ready to bake chicken tenders, hydroponic tomatoes in the winter from a local grower when grocery store tomatoes taste like cardboard.

Late this summer I discovered that they bake these delicious large pizzas for just $9-something. The second one is $8.49 or something like that, unlimited toppings. On Wednesdays, all large one-topping pizzas are just $7.69.

See all those black olives? That is Greenlee's definition of a one topping pizza! A college friend used to call black olives "Barbie Doll Baby Buggy Tires" or something like that. It is probably a widely known "funny", but I had never heard it.!

You may not realize it, but we would have to drive 10 miles to Winona for a pizza that does not compare to the Greenlee pizza. Before we discovered the Greenlee pizzas, it was a treat to travel somewhere that has pizza delivery. Chinese delivery would be just too much excitement for me! We can't even get cable because we live so far back in the woods.

Apparently the Larry's have been cooking Hunt's brand of pizzas for years, and they do a booming business with them. Since Gordon and Unc do the daily errands, I don't have the opportunity to go into Greenlee's any more. I need to go check out what other ready-to-eat foods Greenlee's offers!

Now, we are seeing the Hunt's Pizza sign in lots of business windows. I'm sticking with the generous toppings at Greenlee's and their better prices!

In these last pictures, you will see Lillibeth's tenacious terrier approach to stealing pizza.

The little charmer has actually stolen a couple of pieces, right out from under our noses. Gordon divided the stolen piece among the Westies.