Craig and Karen Bontrager's personal connections to Main Street Market fueled the Milford couple's decision to purchase the store.
The Bontragers took ownership of the market from Neil and Lucinda Burkholder in November. Craig, a Milford native with a history of business ownership, wanted to see the store remain in the community as a resource for area residents. Karen, a Pennsylvania native, gravitated towards the store because of her employment at a similar establishment as a child back home.
“This came up and we thought, 'this is our opportunity to work together,' so we jumped at it,” Craig said.
With the store's connection to the area Mennonite population and their own Mennonite backgrounds, the Bontragers felt they could create a seamless ownership transition and not disrupt the store's importance to the community.
“We're both Mennonite and it's run the Mennonite way,” he said. “We shopped here ourselves over time and enjoyed it more and more every day. Karen would always say this reminded her of home.”
Shoppers at Main Street Market won't notice many drastic changes. They'll still find mostly Mennonite and Nebraska-made items, bulk grocery supplies, hand carved meat and cheese and quality, homemade baked goods and handmade crafts. Craig said it's those items that have made the store not only an asset to the community, but a place where people find joy and connections to their childhood.
“We don't want to change anything that's here because that's why people come here,” Craig said. “I had a lady come in from Lincoln and bought a stick of gum. She said, 'I haven't seen this since I was a kid' and that's the kind of stuff we get in here.”
And shoppers will still find the top-of-the-line customer service that has existed since the Burkholders initially opened the market in 2015, as all the existing staff stayed through the ownership transition.
“They're (employees) great workers, they're great people and they're the reason people come here,” Craig said.
If the Bontragers change anything about the store, Craig said it'll likely be to add services such as delivery and pre-made meals to add to the customer experience.
“We just want to be a good part of the community,” he said.
Just a few weeks into their ownership, Craig said he's seen first-hand the value of the store to the community as well as shoppers who travel to Milford just to stop at Main Street Market.
“People want to stay in town and they want to support their town,” Craig said. “People are really supportive. They're excited to have it in town and just the uniqueness of it, they know brings in people from other towns.
“It helps keep our name on the map. There are a lot of towns just fading away and we don't want to be one of those. This is just something else that makes (Milford) unique.”
