The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Woman opens organic grocery store

Former assistant director at Wittenberg realizes dream of owning own business.

Luann Shafer is the owner of Everyday Organics, 23 Monument Square, Urbana. The store opened last week. Staff photo by Marshall Gorby

ENLARGE PHOTO

Lee’s partners with Stoney Creek coffee
2/10/12
Moyno, union agree to halt talks
2/10/12
Ohio agrees to mortgage settlement deal
2/9/12
Kodak to stop making cameras, digital frames
2/10/12
Birth control mandate causing major stir
2/9/12
> More headlines

By Matt Sanctis, Staff Writer 7:06 PM Saturday, February 6, 2010

For more than two decades, LuAnn Shafer worked as an assistant director at Wittenberg University.

Her new job, however, places more emphasis on fresh fruit and local food than on helping manage employee benefits. Although she enjoyed working at the university, Shafer resigned from her previous position, and last week realized a dream of opening her own business.

Everyday Organics, located in downtown Urbana, focuses on offering locally produced and organic foods, vitamins, cleaning supplies and spices to area residents, Shafer said.

Shafer said she’s been interested in healthy eating for several years, but it became even more important after a close family member became ill.

“It just became so much more important at that point in time,” she said.

This is the first time Shafer has tried to run her own business, and it’s been a learning experience, she said. Largely, she said she relied on advice from others in the local business community, as well as the distributors who provide the items in her store.

“People are very willing to work with me and it’s been very exciting,” she said.

Shafer said her store will focus on as many local products as possible. A display in the center of the store is made up only of items produced in Ohio.

She said she’s heard residents say that if they wanted to buy similar items previously, they sometimes had to travel as far as Columbus or Dayton.

As much as possible, Shafer said she’s excited about the chance to spend time talking with her customers and answering any questions they may have.

In addition, she said she has plans to work with local farmers, and eventually would like to offer items like farm fresh eggs and produce in the store every day.

“As much as I can do locally, I want to do that,” she said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.

Share this article