Our Market makeover

Renovations are moving forward at Humboldt's grocery store, after several months of stalled progress because of financial setbacks.

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December 21, 2020 - 9:51 AM

Donny Van Leeuwen cuts PVC pipe outside Humboldt’s Our Market. Photo by Trevor Hoag / Iola Register

HUMBOLDT — Our Market is moving forward.

After being stalled for several months due to financial setbacks, renovations are moving forward and things are opening up.

The project of remaking Moon’s Hometown Market got its wind back through $20,000 received from the City of Humboldt and an $80,000 loan provided by Allen County.

Multiple additional grants and benefactors also bolstered the process.

Moon’s Hometown Market in Humboldt will soon become Our Hometown Market.Register file photo

The butcher shop portion of the facility has informally opened in order to process deer, and will be again during the second part of the season. The grocery store is slated to open sometime in January.

“The butcher market part of it, we’re about 90-95% complete,” said construction manager Mike Hofer on Thursday.

Hofer is working with proprietors Scott and Amy Welch to bring their vision into a reality. “I’m helping them get everything organized, ordered, put in place, plus doing the carpet work and whatever else,” he said.

A crew sprays protective coating on the ceiling. Photo by Trevor Hoag / Iola Register

Although the Moon’s building looks pretty much the same from the outside, the inside has been transformed into a functioning processing facility with everything from a kill room with meat hooks to newly acquired energy efficient coolers/freezers designed to cut down on electrical costs.

Obtaining the coolers, in particular, was key to the project, as otherwise utility costs would have been untenable, running perhaps twice as much, $6,000 to $8,000 a month compared to $3,000 to $5,000 a month. 

As for more specific timelines, “we’re hoping to have the market open about the first or the second week of January,” Hofer said. First, however, some key inspections and sterilizations must be completed.

“The grocery store, shortly after that.”

New lights were being installed starting Friday inside of the main portion of the grocery store. This primary area is currently being painted as well.

Along with those busy painting others were cutting PVC pipe outdoors.

Mike Hofer, above, tours the newly renovated interior of Humboldt’s Our Market.Photo by Trevor Hoag / Iola Register

It was impossible to distinguish between those on an official payroll and those just lending a hand.

As Hofer explained, “We’ve had a lot of volunteer help; several people have been out here volunteering to get it to be open because they want it open.”

Once everything is complete and open for business, Hofer said he believed Humboldt would have something special.

A crew sprays protective coating on the ceiling. Photo by Trevor Hoag / Iola Register

“It’s unique … something new that’s really starting to bloom,” he emphasized, speaking to the model of a combined grocery store and butcher shop. 

“Very, very few people in the United States have had this kind of idea.”

“Allen County should be extremely proud of the fact that they’re ahead of the game,” Hofer said.

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