New Discount Grocery Store In Galena Offers More Than Reasonable Prices
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October 25, 2018
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Sugar Tree Discount Grocery and More is filled wall to wall with items the owner and manager hope will appeal to everyone in the area.
Isaac Estes-Jones
Sugar Tree Discount Grocery and More will open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 25. The new store, located at the corner of AA Highway and Missouri 413, will offer a hot deli, sandwiches and hand-dipped ice cream on top of traditional discount grocery fare, according to owner Judy Walles and store manager (and Walles’ niece) Kristin Loomis.
“We will open Thursday, do or die,” Walles said on Monday, October 22. “We’ve been working on this a year and a half and built it from scratch.” The location, with two big red buildings with red metal roofs, housed a mechanic’s garage years ago, Walles said, necessitating a large number of improvements before her vision could come to life. That vision includes the aforementioned deli, ice cream and discount grocery items, plus hamburger, bacon and a large selection of Amish jams, pickles and other goods.
But, what Walles thinks will spread word of the store is her décor. There are a large number of taxidermy animals on display in the store, from a full-sized black bear to a black squirrel, as well as a handmade deli counter and many other decorations. “I wanted to put the animals up so people would talk, but, I think we have a bit of something to appeal to everyone,” Walles said. The store is also carrying fishing supplies, purses, new adirondack furniture and other seasonal items. All of the lights in the store were also handmade, including fixtures made from Mason jars hanged from wagon wheels and a chandelier made with the antlers of deer shot by Walles.
While the eye catching décor will certainly catch the eye of people when they stop in, the selection, the proprietors hope, will be what keeps people coming back again and again.
“I’m still kind of baffled by the number of things we have,” Loomis said. “When I was setting up the computer and cash register, I had to account for 4,200 lines of inventory and other things, because we are accepting EBT.”
“When I got the building,” Walles said, “I started thinking about things that our area needed. I know what the economy is like, especially here in Stone County, where some parts are very rich, and some are very, very poor. As it is, if you need to get a lot of things, you have to drive all the way to Crane or Branson West. Plus, Galena is our county seat, so it should be thriving. If we don’t support it, it’s gonna die out.”
On top of the 50 cent candy bars and 25 cent gummies, the Sugar Tree store will also offer fresh cut, by-the-pound meat and cheese; homemade pies; milk and dairy; frozen hamburger and bacon; hot breakfast, lunch specials of all kinds and ice cream. “I think we are most excited about the ice cream,” Walles said, indicating the assortment of toppings available for the ice cream. “I think we can make ice cream just about however you want. We’ll also have banana splits and cones,” Loomis said.
The inventory of the store will continue to evolve as new items are added. “With a lot of it, it’s sort of like Christmas,” Walles said, “because we buy by the pallet and never know for sure what all will be in there.” However, Walles was quick to say this isn’t like the stereotype of a discount grocery, where everything is old and out-of-date. “Things are fresh and ready to eat,” she said. The store has bagged coffee, some basic pharmacy items and a variety of health foods, including protein bars. “I want the store to cater to everyone, not just those with very little or lots of money.”
To find the Sugar Tree Discount Grocery, look for the big red buildings behind the covered wagon and elk sculptures. The store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sugar Tree Discount Grocery and More will open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 25. The new store, located at the corner of AA Highway and Missouri 413, will offer a hot deli, sandwiches and hand-dipped ice cream on top of traditional discount grocery fare, according to owner Judy Walles and store manager (and Walles’ niece) Kristin Loomis.
“We will open Thursday, do or die,” Walles said on Monday, October 22. “We’ve been working on this a year and a half and built it from scratch.” The location, with two big red buildings with red metal roofs, housed a mechanic’s garage years ago, Walles said, necessitating a large number of improvements before her vision could come to life. That vision includes the aforementioned deli, ice cream and discount grocery items, plus hamburger, bacon and a large selection of Amish jams, pickles and other goods.
But, what Walles thinks will spread word of the store is her décor. There are a large number of taxidermy animals on display in the store, from a full-sized black bear to a black squirrel, as well as a handmade deli counter and many other decorations. “I wanted to put the animals up so people would talk, but, I think we have a bit of something to appeal to everyone,” Walles said. The store is also carrying fishing supplies, purses, new adirondack furniture and other seasonal items. All of the lights in the store were also handmade, including fixtures made from Mason jars hanged from wagon wheels and a chandelier made with the antlers of deer shot by Walles.
While the eye catching décor will certainly catch the eye of people when they stop in, the selection, the proprietors hope, will be what keeps people coming back again and again.
“I’m still kind of baffled by the number of things we have,” Loomis said. “When I was setting up the computer and cash register, I had to account for 4,200 lines of inventory and other things, because we are accepting EBT.”
“When I got the building,” Walles said, “I started thinking about things that our area needed. I know what the economy is like, especially here in Stone County, where some parts are very rich, and some are very, very poor. As it is, if you need to get a lot of things, you have to drive all the way to Crane or Branson West. Plus, Galena is our county seat, so it should be thriving. If we don’t support it, it’s gonna die out.”
On top of the 50 cent candy bars and 25 cent gummies, the Sugar Tree store will also offer fresh cut, by-the-pound meat and cheese; homemade pies; milk and dairy; frozen hamburger and bacon; hot breakfast, lunch specials of all kinds and ice cream. “I think we are most excited about the ice cream,” Walles said, indicating the assortment of toppings available for the ice cream. “I think we can make ice cream just about however you want. We’ll also have banana splits and cones,” Loomis said.
The inventory of the store will continue to evolve as new items are added. “With a lot of it, it’s sort of like Christmas,” Walles said, “because we buy by the pallet and never know for sure what all will be in there.” However, Walles was quick to say this isn’t like the stereotype of a discount grocery, where everything is old and out-of-date. “Things are fresh and ready to eat,” she said. The store has bagged coffee, some basic pharmacy items and a variety of health foods, including protein bars. “I want the store to cater to everyone, not just those with very little or lots of money.”
To find the Sugar Tree Discount Grocery, look for the big red buildings behind the covered wagon and elk sculptures. The store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.