EUSTIS, Neb. (KOLN) – The H&J grocery store stocks the usual products customers need. But, inside this unique grocery store, there is much more.
Manager Andy Rupp specializes in making memorable meat or vegetable trays and she takes a lot of pride in her work. “I hope I get the opportunity to make meat and cheese trays, fruit trays, veggie trays, or whatever someone may want, and get a smile out of them,” Rupp said.
The deli offers homemade items, many of which are authentically German. Options include warm German potato salad, cold German potato salad, German black forest cake and German pasta salad.
Beyond the homemade goods and German fare, the grocery store offers meals. Recent offerings included homemade chicken and noodles. “We make homemade beef and noodles. We make cabbage pockets like a Runza. We do burgers,” Rupp said.
“We also have pizza that Andy and the crew makes,” Monika Jurjens said. “We just upgraded and got more ovens so that she could put out more pizzas at the same time.”
The offerings make this grocery store an important hub in Eustis. The store has operated for more than a century. The Wolf Brothers started it as a mercantile store in 1907 and converted it to a grocery store in 1920.
In 2012, a group of investors bought the store and now works to keep it operating.
“We didn’t want to see it closed because, like Andy said, without the grocery store, it would be a big, empty building,” Jan Yeutter said. “That’s why we need, you know, people to come in and see what we’re all about.”
“A lot of small communities are really struggling to keep their grocery stores,” Jurjens said. “We struggle to keep going too, but it’s a go-to place. This grocery store has so much to offer. It’s just nice to have it in town.”
The investors have made improvements since taking over. Changes include new coolers, coolers for beer, new freezers and new vegetable coolers. The customer service adds meaning to the shopping experience.
“We carry out the groceries and we know people by name,” Rupp said. “And, you know, when there’s things going on in someone’s life, we are not above and beyond giving someone a hug.”
The store manager hopes the community will continue supporting the business. “People need to just come past the front door and take a look around to realize what all we have to offer,” Rupp said.
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