Amish-inspired market coming to Washington

Good smells – and tastes – are coming Washington’s way. This spring, Washington residents will have a new place to grab a cup of coffee, fresh-baked goods and, more importantly – groceries. The Dutch Market LLC, located at 2324 Highways 1 and 92 at the edge of Washington, will specialize in what owner Mervin Yoder calls “old-fashioned foods.” The store will have over 40 varieties of deli meat and cheeses in addition to bulk food items such as spices, baking products and snacks, with jam, jellies, noodles, frozen produce and general grocery items also available. Mr. Yoder describes himself and his wife, Ada, as “adventurous and entrepreneurial,” having moved from southern Indiana to Iowa to join a Mennonite church outreach four years ago. The pair grew up Amish in Pennsylvania, which is where the inspiration for the store name came from, as the Amish have historically been known as “Pennsylvania Dutch.” The Yoders have years of experience under their belts with grocery stores, having operated one for 12 years in Pennsylvania and eight years in Indiana. Washington, said Mr. Yoder, is a little underdeveloped in the grocery options department. “We just thought it would be a very good addition to Washington, because it's a big farming community. We have the kind of people in this area that are going to buy the product that we will carry,” he said. Most individuals buy commercial products from Walmart and Hy-Vee, but “the quality they carry is different from the quality we carry,” he said. For 3 ½ of the four years in Iowa, Mr. Yoder worked in sales, but the grocery business called him and Ms. Yoder back. “We just realized that we have a passion for serving people and helping people and connecting with the public,” said Mr. Yoder. “We love food and we're really into food, and we just realized when we disconnected that there was something we missed, and we want to go back into it again.” Dutch Market will be a family business, with Ms. Yoder acting as general manager, their oldest daughters working the coffee shop – which will have both drive-thru and sit-down options – and their sons stocking shelves, unloading trucks and helping customers. The Yoders have seven children, ranging from age 6 to 27. Running a grocery store is almost second nature to Ms. Yoder, whose parents operated one while she was growing up. “It’s something that she just naturally does,” said Mr. Yoder. “She’s a very good baker,” he added, “so there's going to be a lot of good pies and cookies and homemade breads and things like that.” The Yoders have a variety of vendors they’re working with, including Walnut Creek Foods from Ohio and Dutch Valley Foods in Pennsylvania, but they will also be purchasing produce from the Twin County Produce Auction in Kalona. The store will also feature poly lawn furniture made locally, and seasonal items such as hanging baskets, flowers, pumpkins and mums. Schwartz Builders designed the building for the Yoders and MK Roofing and Construction is building it. Construction has already begun on the 9,600 square foot store, which is slated to open sometime in March or April 2024.