A small local food store in Sioux Falls is re-opening after being destroyed by fire. Authorities say someone set the fire inside The Co-op Natural Foods building after taking money from the register. Now the business is looking forward just more than a week after the fire.
Board members and supporters stand in a long line among the remnants of a video rental store in Sioux Falls. The former Movie Gallery near 18th street and Minnesota Avenue is soon to be a home for the Co-op Natural Foods.
Leaders can’t restore the full business on their three-week timeline, but they say they want to provide people with important basics – like fresh peanut butter and oatmeal. General Manager Molly Langley says the Co-op is a local business that supports other local businesses.
"Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota. People come from miles and miles. They hit the Co-op before they go home. And many is the time that our staff have stayed late on a Saturday night or a Sunday night, and somebody was driving back to Pierre, Rapid City, Fargo, and they needed to shop," Langley says.
An early-morning fire on January 19th destroyed $100,000 worth of food at the Co-op’s current store in Sioux Falls. The flames and smoke melted shelving and ruined equipment. The fire also wrecked new checkout systems installed days before.
The Co-op has 18 full-time employees and 2,500 members, but anyone can shop at the store. Many of the products sold come from local vendors.
Co-op leaders are posting updates on the group’s Facebook page. That includes where to send donations and details about other fundraisers.