The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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IT IS DIFFICULT to imagine Emporia without a Reeble’s store.

The town was just 26 years old when Rudolph Reeble opened his first market and Reeble’s stores have been keeping Emporians in groceries ever since — for 124 years. The north and south stores are the last supermarkets in central Emporia.

For many people, shopping at a Reeble’s is both a habit and a family tradition.

Of course, the stores have changed and been moved over the years. The company had to change to survive. The Emporia grocery stores that did not change are long since gone.

But several things have not changed. The employees of Reeble’s have always prided themselves on friendliness and service. And the Reeble family has always been committed to the welfare of Emporia and its people.

The only reason the Reeble’s stores are being sold is that — sadly — Emporia is running out of Reebles. Arnold Graham, the son-in-law of the late Bernard Reeble, is ready to retire and there are no family members in line to replace him.

It seems that the new owners — the Bob’s Super Saver chain — plan keep the Reeble’s name, and that’s a good start. We hope they will also keep the philosophy of service and community that have made the stores such an asset to Emporia.

The best way to do that is to keep the people that have made the Reeble’s store such good places to shop for so long. Familiar faces and helpful employees at the counters and checkout stands will go a long way toward keeping old customers happy and winning new ones.

Take our word for it: A store-bought sugar cookie just doesn’t taste as good if you don’t buy it from Alice.

Patrick S. Kelley

Editorial Page Editor