STROEMER FOODS CELEBRATES 100 YEARS OF GROCERY SERVICE IN BARRY

BARRY, Ill. — A grocery store that has served Barry for a century is celebrating a pair of milestones during one of the community’s biggest weekends of the year. Stroemer Foods at 575 Rodgers Street is marking 25 years under its current name and ownership while celebrating 100 years of continuous grocery service in Barry.

The business traces its history to September 1926, when it opened as Kiefer’s on the Barry square. Earl and Virginia Brunenn later took over the store, and their son Kent eventually renamed it K and E and moved the business to its current Rodgers Street location in a former glove factory. Jenny and Mike Stroemer purchased K and E in October 2001 and renamed it Stroemer Foods.

Over the past 25 years, the store has added a cafe, pizza, a hot deli and other services while keeping the kind of traditional small-town customer service that has been part of the business for generations, including greeting customers by name and carrying groceries to their vehicles.

The centennial celebration will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, October 4, with giveaways, raffles and live music. Former employees and relatives of past owners are invited to attend, and the Barry History Museum and the city will recognize the store’s century of service. The celebration comes during Barry Apple Festival weekend, when thousands of visitors are expected in the community.