Robin Johnson: Prater's Storekeeper

Robin Johnson: Prater's Storekeeper

When century-old Prater’s Grocery and General Merchandise in Kilbourne, Ill., (pop. 363) was fated to close last year, Robin Johnson was determined not to let it happen.

The part-time clerk went to work full time, restocking shelves, enlisting volunteers to help paint the store’s interior, and convincing its owner she could turn the floundering business around and make a profit.

“A lot of people really depend on this store,” says Johnson, 38, who first worked as a clerk at Prater’s as a teenager.

For example, local customers with too little money sometimes charge their purchases, Johnson explains, while older people and those who can’t get around easily would find it difficult to get groceries without a store in town offering free deliveries—as Prater’s does.

Owner Bob Prater, however, was ready to let the store fade into history after the death of longtime clerk Russell Hughes in February 2000. Prater held a sale a few months later to liquidate old stock and furniture and began the process of closing the business, which has served as a social hub, hardware store, and grocery since the turn of the century.

When so many townspeople turned out for the sale and expressed sadness at its closing, Johnson saw there was not only a need, but also hope for the store’s future. She approached Prater to convince him to keep it open.

“He just said ‘we’ll see,’” Johnson recalls.

She continued to run the store and make small—then larger—improvements. She started by ordering new items to stock the shelves, making sandwiches again, and bringing in a table and chairs so customers could sit down and have lunch or socialize.

“She has invested a lot of time and energy,” says Martha Garren, Johnson’s aunt and a lifelong store customer. “She’s recruited people to give their time, and she’s trying to be competitive in pricing so people don’t have to drive out of town for smaller items.”

Painting the store proved to be a turning point, Johnson says, and when business picked up, Prater, who owns a local oil supply business, took notice. He not only kept the store open, but also bought a new computer system to maintain its books.

Johnson, in turn, brought in some of her own food service equipment, including a fryer, steam tables, and freezers, and turned the meat and sandwich counter into a full-fledged deli.

The improvements made customers happy, and the store is finally turning a profit after years of losses.

“We’re doing quite a bit better,” Prater says. “She’s doing a great job.”

Customer Karen Showalter is grateful to see what Johnson has done and glad the store remains open to serve the community. “It would have been a lot of hardship for a lot of the elderly who don’t drive anymore” if the store had closed, she says, adding that the nearest grocery store is in Havana (pop. 3,673), 11 miles to the north.

Kathleen Hahn, a Kilbourne native who has shopped at Prater’s all her life, is pleased with Johnson’s efforts. “I think it’s wonderful. She’s done a really good job reviving the place,” Hahn says. “I’m very glad it stayed open. It’s very important to the life of the town.”

Margaret Schroeder is a freelance writer in Springfield, Ill.

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