Ryan’s Foods to remain open in Hayfield under new ownership

(ABC 6 News) – The town of Hayfield woke up to some unexpected good news today.

On Tuesday, it was rumored Ryan’s Foods was getting ready to close down for good, but now the future of Hayfield’s only grocery store has been secured.

People in Hayfield were ecstatic by this news. Many began to worry of how far they would have to drive to get basic needs from a store, but now that’s no longer a concern.

Ryan’s Foods has been a staple to the Hayfield community for over 25 years. But with the building in need of serious repair, and the cost exceeding what owner Jim Baldus was willing to spend, he was set to make the decision to close the store instead.

Fortunately for the Hayfield community, a group of Albert Lea business owners struck a deal to keep the store running under new management. The news now being greeted by relief from people in town.

“We are ecstatic to have the grocery store still open,” said Hayfield resident Liz Fjerstad. “This is actually a wonderful thing for our entire community. We have a food pantry that relies on our grocery store and the citizens here also rely on what they need to get here on a daily basis. “

And it’s not just adults celebrating the news, but kids too. Christian and Camisha Gaskins come here once a week and were worried what could have happened without the store.

“We were really scared,” said Camisha Gaskins.

“I feel like sad and stuff, and I, and this store is really awesome,” Christian Gaskins added.

ABC 6 is still waiting to confirm the identity of the new owner, unconfirmed reports from an employee of Ryan’s Foods says that the owners are also owners of Clark’s Gas station in Albert Lea. ABC 6 will provide updates once received.