The Kansas town of Minneola, with a population of less than 1000, faced the loss of the town’s only grocery store when the owner decided to close the business. But the townspeople sold $50 shares — raising more than $200,000 — and reopened the little market that has served Minneola for decades. Three months after the March grand reopening, the small grocery store already has doubled the trade of the previous owner. Local groceries are often gathering places and the primary source of healthy food, as well as one of the larger employers in a small town, making them an economic driving force.
To learn more: http://www.gctelegram.com/news/AP-KS-Community-Grocery-32612