Royal Super Mart is the only grocery store in the small farming town of Sheffield, Illinois, which put owner John Winger in a dilemma when he wanted to retire from running the family-owned shop. Winger didn’t want to leave his community in a food desert and worried that if he sold the building, the new owner may not continue the store. With the help of a local nonprofit, Cornerstone Community Wellness, the Sheffield community raised $500,000 to transform Royal Super Mart into a social enterprise. The newly renovated store now has a variety of healthy, pre-made meals and utilizes a key fob system that allows residents to shop between 5 AM and 11 PM by using self-checkout. All profits from Royal Super Mart are put back into the business to keep it sustainable for years to come, and Winger was able to retire knowing that his legacy would continue serving the community.
Image via Washington Post
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