By Danielle Strenke

Rodís Country Corner owners Mark and Diane Johnson planned to move their Almelund business several years ago and now it is finally becoming a reality.

The grocery store will not move out of Almelund, where the Johnsons sold groceries, ice cream and other convenience items to customers since Mark Johnsonís parents owned it in the early 1970s.

The Johnsons bought eight acres of land next to Hwy. 95 in Almelund 10 years ago with the intention to build a bigger store and add gas pumps to the business.

A continuing struggle with the state over access to the new building from Hwy. 95, among other obstacles, delayed the project.

ìThere was always a problem,î Diane Johnson said.

The business owners then looked at other options to expand their business to the vacant acreage.

The Johnsons looked at the old Emporium building directly next to their property.

ìIt was never really open anymore,î Diane Johnson said. The couple approached the property owners and purchased the land and building in March.

Eight area fire departments participated on April 21 in a controlled burn of the building as a training exercise. By dawn the next day, the early 1900s building was a smoking pile of rubble.

The exercise went well and all the departments and emergency personnel involved worked hard to pull it off safely, Diane Johnson said.

Access to the new store will be on CR 12 through the center of town instead of Hwy. 95.

The new Rodís Country Corner building has since been framed up and the exterior work should be completed in the next few weeks. Diane Johnson said the store and gas station should open in August.

ìIt would be great to have it open by threshing weekend [Almelund Threshing Show],î Diane Johnson said.

The current store is about 2,700 square feet.

The new building will be 3,300 square feet. Diane Johnson said they will expand the snack counter by adding hot dogs and possibly other hot snacks and sandwiches in the future.

The movie rental section at Rodís will be expanded and tanning beds will still be part of the business.

Diane Johnson said one of the best parts of the move is being able to bring a gas station to the Almelund area. Two pumps will be offered under a canopy as well as a separate diesel island.

The Johnsonís will offer customers E85 gasoline and are looking into the possibility of offering non-oxygenated gasoline as well.

ìOur whole idea was to add a gas station and the visibility on Hwy. 95 will help,î Diane Johnson said.

The last gas station to be open in Almelund closed around 1998 or 1999, she said.

When the new store opens at its new location, it will most likely feature expanded hours, especially weekends. It will also have 24-hour pay-at-the-pump gas station, Diane Johnson said.

The Johnsons are excited to be able to offer an expanded business to Almelund and hope that it will spur even more growth in the town.

They are unsure what they will do with the old building once it is vacant, but Diane Johnson hopes it will attract a new business to the area.

ìSomething that will bring life back to Almelund,î she said.

Since the couple lives upstairs, Diane Johnson said they will be careful about what type of business it is that moves in. ìWe want to find something neat,î she said.

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