Dennis started out in 1970 in the grocery business. Dennis was hired by Garth Mingo as a carry out/ stocker. He worked at this Belle Plaine location.

Three years later Dennis became Assistant Manager. He was in charge of ordering, scheduling employees, checking in vendors, hiring and disciplining employees.

Two years later Dennis became the store manager at the age of 24. He went through a two year training program while I was employed with the Nash Finch Co. During this time Dennis learned the ropes in the meat, produce, deli and the grocery departments. During the next 14 years as manager I was a training store for Nash Finch Co. for their management training program.

The opportunity came up for Dennis to buy the store in 1984. While this was an exciting opportunity for the Schwab family it was also very scary with the thought of going into debt.

After purchasing the store, Dennis and Vicki remodeled the store and expanded the floor space by 4,000 square feet. They also built bakery and deli departments with everything needed to expand our store and meet customer needs. Dennis and Vicki added one more grocery aisle and a produce section along with a new front end. They also installed one of the first scanners in the area. Dennis and Vicki have continued to make upgrades to the store since then to keep up with the times.

Dennis was named Iowa's Grocer of the Year in 1994. This was quite an honor given that it was given to only one grocery out of all the grocers in Iowa. In 2001, Dennis became a member of Affiliated Foods Midwest which was a good move for both the store owners and for store customers.

In September 2008, Dennis added a Liquor Department in the store to keep business in town because the liquor store had to close its doors.

Come in and meet our friendly staff! We are fast, courteous and our store is bright and clean! We have friendly checkouts and helpful carry outs!

Deli

• Check out the best broasted chicken in town! Our chicken is never frozen.
• We have homemade deli dinners that offer the best meal and value in town.
• Don't forget the party tray for your next party - our deli makes delicious party trays for any event.
• Call Ruth in the Deli for your next special occasion. Ruth will take care of your catering needs for graduation parties, etc. We make meat and cheese trays and vegetable trays to meet your needs!

Meat

• We make specialty cuts for your needs exactly the way you want it.
• If we don't have what you are looking for, just ask!
• Tracy, in the meat department, is always ready to fill your special needs for your family meals and special events.

Bakery

• Ashley will bake any special order you need including: special occasions cakes, birthday cakes, graduation cakes, etc.

Produce

• Tasha will let you know what apple is good for pies, apple sauce, and more!
• Just ask Tasha to help you put together a vegetable tray or fruit boats for your next special occasion.

Grocery

• We have a wide variety of goods!
• Our store aisles are clean and bright!

Liquor and Wine

• New in 2007!

Our staff is very friendly and courteous. They are always willing to help you find what you are looking for.

• Dennis Schwab - Owner & General Manager
• Nick Novak - Night Manager, Frozen Foods and Dairy Manager
• Phil Stewart - Meat Manager
• Tasha Kauffman - Produce Manager
• Ruth Laackman - Deli Manager
• Ashley Simmons - Bakery Manager
• Kandy Johnson - Price Coordinator and Jack of All Trades!

We are very involved in our community. Here are just a few of the ways Dennis and Vicki Schwab give back to this great community!

• Member of the Lions Club (Dennis is the Past President)
• Former Board Member of the Iowa Grocer Association
• Member of Iowa Main Street to help rejuvenate Belle Plaine
• Dennis is an Elder of First Luthern Church where he and Vicki are members
• Member of Belle Plaine Foundation
• Master Gardner Gopher (for Vicki!)

Here are just a few reasons that we are proud of our community!

1. We have a good school system and plans for expanding our schools to keep moving forward.
2. We have great community support for projects that need to be done.
3. We are participating in the Main Street Iowa program to improve our Downtown with a goal to bring new businesses to town.
4. Our community is a proud participant in the Trees Forever Program. This is a project to help beautify our entry ways coming into town by planting trees and shrubs and building walking paths.
5. Historic Highway 30 runs right through town and we have a number of historic buildings in our Downtown.
6. Belle Plaine is home to an English Style Train Depot - one of only a few in the country.