Loyd Ratts cruised down the aisles of White’s Foodliner in St. John, Kansas, and thought of his childhood.
Ratts was the first customer of the new grocery store, which opened Wednesday morning. The grocery store is the two-year culmination of efforts by community groups, led by Stafford County Economic Development, operator of the new establishment.
Funding for the $3 million project came through a sales tax approved by voters and multiple grants, including a $780,800 federal grant from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which the county received a year ago.
“I think it is an important part of a town — maybe not up there with a school, but the next step down,” Pat White, owner of the Kingman-based White’s Foodliner, said. “They’ve made a heck of an investment here. This is incredible.”
(Read more: News – The Hutchinson News)