Casselton’s Wangler Foods, the last grocery store in town, on the closing block

CASESELTON, N.D. (KFGO) – It’s possible Casselton, North Dakota will lose its solely grocery retailer.

Casselton’s Planning and Zoning Fee permitted a required conditional use allow Wednesday that permits the sale of the Wangler Meals constructing on Entrance Road. The customer plans to maneuver a pc, web, IT gross sales, and help service enterprise into the constructing. Whether or not the sale of the constructing is finalized is as much as town council which is able to decide at subsequent week’s assembly.

Grocery retailer proprietor Fred Wangler has been the proprietor since 2005. At one time, he owned 5 grocery shops. Wangler says he’s downsizing his companies however he mentioned closing the Casselton retailer is a tricky resolution. He mentioned, “there are numerous older prospects, we now have a superb workers that bends over backward to assist the shoppers, we provide in-town supply service, so it’s robust to depart town with out that service.”

Wangler mentioned he misplaced about 10% of his enterprise when a reduction retailer moved to city however he mentioned a lot of his prospects returned to his grocery retailer due to its supply service and meals not accessible on the different retailer.

Former Mayor Ed McConnell, who chairs the Planning and Zoning Fee agrees there’s an enormous problem dealing with the group. He mentioned it might be time to look at the potential for beginning a community-owned grocery retailer.

Lori Capouch, Rural Improvement Director for the North Dakota Affiliation of Rural Electrical Cooperatives, mentioned they’ve been monitoring the variety of rural grocery shops in southeastern North Dakota cities of 2100 folks or much less. Ten of the 31 shops at the moment are group financed and owned solely by native residents.

One other new plan referred to as the Rural Grocery Initiative is predicted to launch quickly in 5 Walsh County communities. Capouch says it’s just like a franchise the place grocery gadgets might be bought on-line, be delivered in bigger volumes to Park River as soon as every week, and from there, delivered to a number of present grocery shops or in climate-controlled lockers at areas in Adams and Fordville the place there are not any grocery shops. The plan is believed to be the primary of its type within the U.S.