Today we’d like to introduce you to Regena Lance.
Hi Regena, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in the area and the local store known as Charlie Browns was the go to place for everything you needed. As a kid I took all my glass pop bottles in and exchanged them for money to purchase toys from the toy rack and no kid every left the store without a handful of candy from Lucille. This store was an icon in the community, for my entire life. In 2014, the store was selling out and closing the doors, which was devastating to the locals and my family. My husband and I were both sitting on the couch one night and I said what do you think about buying the store, his reply was I was just thinking the same thing. As a teacher and mechanic by trade we knew very little about running a grocery store. However, we did know our community and realized how much we needed the store. I didn’t want to have to drive 30 minutes for a dozen eggs and I knew many of our area residents wouldn’t want to either. So on June 2, 2014 Charlie Brown’s store re-opened under the new name “Mildred Store” with myself Regena Lance as the primary owner along with my husband Loren. We had to completely restock all the products and start from scratch. The first thing we put back in was the fresh deli where sandwiches were made on a regular basis. We still make the sandwiches just like the Browns did for so many years. Over the past 11 years a few things have changed, we did have to make some modern updates to the Point of Sale system, starting accepting credit cards, put in some new energy efficient coolers and have slowly grown our inventory. One of the biggest changes that has probably benefitted us the most is my husbands love for music. Within the first year, my husband starting playing music once a month in the back room with some of his buddies. This has grown to a monthly music night that attracts hundreds of attendees from all over the United States. We maybe small town, with just about 17 residents in the town but we are mighty. The store maintains a growing customer base with many new people coming in all the time. The store has been featured in many articles, won several awards and featured on the CBS evening news. As business owners in a small rural community we are blessed to know most of our customers and have built a strong relationship with them. We host several events each year to encourage people to come to our community, we host spring, fall and Christmas craft shows, car shows, Easter egg hunts, community Christmas and a host of other events throughout the year. Our music room serves as an event venue for a many people and many events for us as well as others. Mildred Store is the only 100+ year old grocery store with a country music dance hall in the back. Everyone needs to come experience the nostalgia and feel like you are stepping back in time.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The last 11 years have been a blessing though it hasn’t always been a smooth road. Competing against big box stores is hard in a rural community. However, you have to find things that set you apart and look at the bright side of things. What can we offer to people that the box stores like Wal-mart can’t. We offer customer service, friendly atmosphere, home cooked meals, unique items, tons of nostalgic items and help with whatever you need. We also serve our community by lending helping hands when others need it. We have done several fund raisers for families in need, donated to help families pay for funeral services, take up collections when members of the community pass away. We have been blessed to bring an old country store back to life in some very challenging times, but we are not just surviving we are thriving.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently a retired teacher who runs a grocery store. We specialize in a little bit of everything but mostly providing services to our small rural community and meeting their needs. Our dedication to community, live entertainment, unique and nostalgic items in our rural environment set us apart from others.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Taking risks and thinking outside of the box is what we do. Taking a chance on a 100 year old store located in a town with a population less that 20 and out in the middle of know where seems to be the definition of risk taking. We have taken risks on several other changes within the store, for example adding a music night and other events. We even started an RV park next door and I know the community thought we had lost our minds but it proved to be very beneficial, we have since sold it but it still stays busy and helps feed the revenue of the store. Our philosophy on risk taking is; you never get any where in life without taking some risks. We live on a farm and can relate to this saying as well; “If you’re not the lead cow the view never changes.” Therefore, we take risks often, sometimes we hit a home run and occasionally we have a foul ball and even strike out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://themildredstore.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063772233245
Image Credits
Regena Lance
Etherealallenmedia
