Residents Save The Only Grocery Store In Their Small Town

Sheffield, Illinois is a few hours west of Chicago and has a population of 821…no stoplights and one grocery store. The Royal Super Mart was opened in 1940 by Cliff Winger, and taken over by his son, John, in the 1980’s.

But a few years ago, he wanted to retire. That would mean closing the only grocery store in town and panic spread quickly.

Elizabeth Pratt is a nurse who runs a non-profit, and she offered to buy the store if she could raise enough money. So far, over $532,000 of the $545,000 goal has been raised. She was able to make renovations including making it more energy efficient, and secure access to fresh meat and produce.