Mitch Kramer converts portion of Strasburg’s ‘Blue Room’ into grocery store; solving rural access to healthy food

Healthy food provides the body with nutrients and energy. It should be low in saturated and trans fats, and contain adequate amounts of fibre and protein. Eat dark green vegetables (3 to 4 servings per week) and a variety of fruit (2 to 3 servings daily). Choose whole grain foods (breads, muffins, muesli, brown rice, quinoa or oatmeal) over refined grains.

STRASBURG, N.D. (KFYR) – Small-town residents say finding healthy grocery options can be a challenge, especially if the nearest store is out of town. Luckily for Strasburg, a local entrepreneur has converted his historic restaurant into a three-fold business, offering the community solutions for food and much more.

Strasburg, North Dakota is known for its smaller, rural population, being the birthplace of Lawrence Welk, and of course, the legendary Blue Room.

Behind the rows of snacks and shelves of medicine now decking the halls of Kramer’s Grocery store you’ll find a rich history that patrons say they still know today.

“The original Blue Room was a pool hall. Then it became a popular movie theater. It was used for the movies, roller skating, weddings and get-togethers,” said Strasburg resident Gary Keller.

Mitch Kramer purchased the Blue Room in 2016 and converted the back of the restaurant into Kramer’s Grocery.

With an impressive back story starting in the 1910s, even more impressive was Kramer’s ability to turn the space into something residents desperately needed: a grocery store.

“It’s too easy nowadays to drive to a bigger town to buy their groceries. It’s cheaper, but in a small town, you’re paying for the convenience. It costs more for a small-town grocer to get their food here,” said Kramer, owner of Kramer’s Blue Room and Kramer’s Grocery.

Kramer says a stand-alone grocery store wouldn’t be sustainable for his small town or many others, as suppliers will only send out food for large orders.

This, he says, makes it difficult for many small towns to access healthy foods.

“It’s hard. For these big companies, you have to have $1,000 to $2,000 worth of a delivery for them to bring it to you. Otherwise, like me now, my fresh fruits and vegetables, my produce, I run over to Bismarck every Sunday to pick it up,” said Kramer.

But by combining both his grocery and restaurant orders, Kramer can satisfy supplier requirements and keep his shelves fully stocked.

You might walk through Kramer’s grocery store without ever noticing his shelves are on wheels. But those wheels are a link to the past.

Kramer is able to roll his goods out of the store to make way for a wedding venue reminiscent of the good ole days in the Blue Room.

“It was a gathering place in the past, and it’s still a gathering [place],” said Kramer.

Today, the Blue Room stands as a tribute to the past and a testament to the future, demonstrating the resilience and ingenuity of rural American entrepreneurs.

Kramer and Keller say if the Blue Room and Kramer’s Grocery didn’t exist, residents would need to drive about ten miles away to Linton to get to the nearest grocery store.

Source: kfyrtv.com