Standing the test of time
Published 12:47 pm Thursday, June 28, 2018
Local IGA grocery store in Wilmore still family owned
and community supported more than 60 years later
For more than 60 years, Fitch’s IGA in
Wilmore has been busy making a name for
itself as the local hometown grocery store.
Serving the community a hot breakfast,
freshly made donuts and homemade deli
lunches, Fitch’s also offers every other
commodity you would see in any other
grocery store in the nation.
A member of the Independent Grocer’s Alliance
since 1936, owner Leonard Fitch took over the family
store 10 years ago. He said he moved to Kentucky
from upstate New York, in a town almost 40 miles
from Montreal when he was 16 years old in order for
their children to attend Asbury University.
“The reason (we moved) was my mom and dad
wanted us to go to Asbury,” Fitch said. “There were
six of us, and most of us did. The store opened in
1956 where the Subway is located now. In 1966, 10
years later, they opened half the store here. Another
10 years later, we completed the store.”
Fitch said he was always involved in every bit of
the business growing up. At 8 years old, Fitch said he
remembers the store had a locker plant at the family
store in New York, and he would work grinding
beef.
“The IGA is not around much anymore,”
Fitch said. “The market is so tough a lot have
closed in other places, but in this area, we are
one of the few that have existed.”
Founded in 1926, the IGA was formed in
order to bring together independent grocers
across the United States ensuring trusted,
family-owned and operated grocery stores
remained strong in the face of growing competition
that was emerging in the nation. Today,
some IGAs still exist and are being run
by second, third or even fourth generations
following in their family’s footsteps. The alliance
includes 5,000 hometown proud supermarkets
worldwide with stores in 46 of the
United States and more than 30 countries
around the globe.
Standing apart from the cookie-cutter
chains across the world, IGA stores were
made to be unique, just like the local communities
they decided to set up shop in and
serve.
“We got a funny slant too in that we are the
only one that didn’t open on Sundays,” Fitch
said. “We still don’t open on Sunday and it’s
phenomenal how good people are to us. The
(other) amazing thing about it is we don’t sell
tobacco and never have. Back then everybody
raised tobacco and the farmers they still supported
it. It shows how wonderful the people
are.”
Fitch said he knows everybody that comes
through his store. From the group of professors
who meet in the back of the store every
morning, to the farmers who come to gather
and talk up front daily, he looks forward to
every customer he gets the opportunity to
come in contact with.
“I love the community. I really do,” Fitch
said. “The community is so good to us really.
And the expanded community, High Bridge
and Bethel, those people are good to us too.
They are wonderful people and I am so glad
that they come in.”
Fitch said the IGA store is no stranger to
community events either. From the Christmas
Walk where they serve more than 1,000
biscuits, to the Wilmore Fourth Of July
Celebration where he sets out yearly to cut
open watermelons, Fitch said the store is also
involved with many events in nearby High
Bridge.
“We try our best to be a part of the community
and the employees that we have are
with us for a long time,” Fitch said. “We are
so honored that they are because they are
such a help to us. ”
Fitch said the people in the Wilmore community
and surrounding areas who have
always made a point to support his family’s
store have been so good to the local IGA
throughout the years.
“We are very fortunate to exist,” Fitch said.
“We love them to come in a feel like it is home
to them. A lot of them come in and visit with
us and we always want them to feel that they
are welcome because they are.”
