By Johnny Williams —
Tim Clark leaned back in the chair of his office on the upstairs of the grocery store named after his father 92 years ago, pondering some of the challenges that he’s faced over the years co-owning and operating the business started by his grandfather.
“April 15, 1984. The first day we opened back up after my father died,” he finally said. “That was the hardest day of my life.”
Feb. 29, 2024 may rival that day.
It was with heavy hearts that Tim and his sister Kathy Clark-Mourhess, with whom he owns Ted Clark’s Busy Market, along with manager Andy Forrest, announced last week that that day would be the store’s last after over nine decades in business.
“There were a lot of tears when we told our employees on Thursday — all 45 of them,” said Tim. “Then we told the community later that night on Facebook, and the response has been so positive.” The Facebook post ended up with approximately 1,300 comments — mostly of sad surprise and well-wishes for the Ted Clark’s crew.
But the support was not just virtual. Customers have turned up in droves ever since the announcement was made.
“There were people lined up outside Friday morning,” Forrest said. “It’s been a madhouse every day since then. It’s like when the pandemic hit and everyone was stocking up on things, but it hasn’t slowed down.”
While the rush has resulted in products flying off the shelves faster than anticipated, Tim emphasized that the inventory will continue to be refilled so customers can get what they need up until closing day.
The community support has come with mixed emotions – with feelings of warmth and gratefulness for the flood of well wishes, but also the sadness that soon it will all be over.
Whether it was the regular customers who have purchased their groceries at the busy market for years, or the employees who have stocked the shelves and rang up customers for just as long, or the young adults who got their first job there to learn customer service and other social skills – the memories were countless for Tim, Kathy, and Andy.
“Our customers have told us how much they’ll miss us. We’ve seen people who had their first job here as teenagers and they tell us how important it was for them to work here,” Kathy said.
Ted Clark’s Busy Market was founded in 1932 during the Great Depression in the family home formerly right next to the current store. It was operated out of one room by Ed Clark, his son, Ted, and his daughter, Kitty Rimbey, and sold staples such as baking goods, coffee, cereals, and tobacco and food items.
“Everyone did their own baking back then, and there were lots of farmers who loved chewing tobacco,” Tim said. “There were small grocery stores on almost every corner back then.”
In 1947, the original store was constructed, and continued to have additions built on over the years until its current state.
Kathy has been involved with the store since she was 13 years old. Fifty-two years later, tears formed in her eyes trying to pick just one thing she would miss most.
“Back then, we all did whatever needed to be done,” she said. “Sometimes you’d stock the shelves. Sometimes you’d ring up the customers. Sometimes you’d be slicing someone’s meat. Just whatever needed to be done, we all could do it
“It’s the routine I think I’ll miss,” she continued. “Getting the calls when you’re not here, doing what needs to be done. Seeing our employees. Seeing our customers. I’m not sure what I’ll do.”
“Ditto,” added Andy. “You took the words right out of my mouth.”
Tim also explained that they were not looking to get out of the business or retire. Rather, the cost of doing business — whether it’s buying products or maintaining the building — has just risen too much.
“Business has been good — that’s never been a problem,” he said. “But the expenses have grown immensely. We’ve tried to think of everything, but it just doesn’t work with the costs being so high. And it’s not just one singular issue, it’s many issues combined.”
But for as long as Ted Clark’s Busy Market has operated, Tim, Kathy and Any all agreed that the key for all the years of success was its loyal customers and superior service — starting with Ted Clark, himself.
“My father was a talker,” Tim said. “He was very personable. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. He would sing and whistle while he worked — that’s where it started.”
It was Ted’s personality that helped construct the model for the market’s customer service policy — to focus on the customer that the employee was working with and no one else.
“People come to us for good quality and friendly service,” Kathy said. “We’re known for our customer service. We work as a great team and we’re very fortunate to have each other.”
None of them are quite sure what the future holds, but there will still be lots of work to do after the store closes, as the building will have to be cleaned out thoroughly in preparation to be sold.
“It’ll take us a few months to do that,” Tim said. “After that, I just don’t know yet.
“I don’t even know where I’m going to shop yet,” he added with a sad smile.
I am 85 and my grandparents lived in Waverly everytime we visited them my dad stopped to buy their meats as dad said it was best he could buy we still stop when in the valley he used to shop back in the 50s and 60s until the 95 when he passed sorry to see you close ????