OGDEN, Iowa — In a town of 2,000 people, a new grocery store is pretty big news, especially when the town in question hasn't had one for three years.
A new Fareway grocery store opened its doors to the community on Wednesday.
"We've waited for this. So happy to be here and yes, we've waited. It's been a long summer," said Mary J. Ott, an Ogden resident who went shopping on the store's opening day.
The town's last grocery store, Clark's Food Mart, burned down in 2019. That meant that residents looking to stock up on groceries had to trek all the way out to Boone — a 30-minute round trip.
"Oh, we're happy. Yes, the whole town has really, really been hurting since we haven't had a store," said Karen Dannen, another Ogden resident. "We have a lot of elderly people and it makes it really inconvenient."
And older Ogden residents aren't the only ones being helped.
Dannen is the co-director of the Ogden Food Pantry. She believes the store will be a great asset for the families who usually come to them when they are in need.
"Our people will really appreciate being able to come here in town. A lot of the people have a hard time getting around, so this will really help them," Dannen said.
The Ogden Fareway (302 W Walnut St) is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday.