Kevin and Patrice Gaulrapp bought the old Red Owl in Lake Crystal in 1986
The Three Prong Approach Kevin’s Market grew into three businesses By Heidi Sampson Photos by John Cross
W
hile growing up, Kevin Gaulrapp gathered first-hand experience of the grocery business from his father, who owned a few stores of his own, in South Dakota. As one of six children, the majority of Kevin’s family was also involved in his father’s businesses, which led to the realization that his father’s grocery stores couldn’t support all of them. In 1986, Kevin and his wife, Patrice, decided it
was time to branch out on their own, purchasing the old Red Owl grocery store, in Lake Crystal. The two would change the grocery store’s name to Kevin’s Market. “This is what I love to do, plus you just can’t purchase a grocery store anywhere,” said Kevin. “You kind of have to go where one is available and Lake Crystal was just a really good fit for us. We liked the community from
All In The Family
22 • November 2013 • MN Valley Business