CU STO M E R S E N J OY T H E VA R I E T Y - A N D SU R P R I S E S - AT WA KA R U S A S H O P Writer / Angela Cornell Photography Provided
in the basement in our house,” he says. “There was a small retail area.”
There are many reasons to start a business. Some can’t stand the thought of being bored after retiring. Others see a need and want to fill it. For Wyman Hochstetler, the owner of Madison Country Store, it was a combination of both.
Within two years of their grand opening in 2012, they needed something larger, so the Hochstetlers had a portion of their property rezoned for commercial use and built a storefront.
“She’s past her 80th birthday now and she’s out here every day,” he says. “It just gives her something to do.” It wasn’t just his aunt’s needs that Hochstetler sought to meet. Since the store is a discount grocery, he is able to provide products for neighbors, friends and strangers.
Since then, the business has only grown. At present, they draw customers from a radius “Our number-one goal is to have a of 40 to 50 miles. discount store that’s very clean, and at competitive prices,” he says. “My wife’s aunt was semi-retired,” he says. “We have regular customers from Osceola, “She wanted something to do. This was South Bend, Mishawaka, Milford and One of the draws for Madison Country always my wife’s dream, and I shared it too. Warsaw,” Hochstetler says. “We see people Store’s customers is that they never quite It’s always been our dream to have a store, from further away than that. There’s a lady know what they will find. Inventory so this was the bump we needed - when her from Valparaiso that comes here once a changes daily, and everything in the store aunt moved to us.” month.” is typically priced at least half-off from regular store prices. It all started in Hochstetler’s basement. Of course, Hochstetler’s aunt still works at “We actually started with the warehousing the store. “It’s like ‘Happy Christmas’ when they First of all, it was a retirement project for an older relative.
6 / THE LAKES MAGAZINE / FEBRUARY 2021 / thelakesmagazine.com
