More than a convenience store
Holton — Kathy’s General Store is more than a place where travelers along US-75 highway stop to grab a slice of pizza or a soft drink, gas up their vehicle and then head back on the road.
The back half of the convenience store has been turned into a gift shop. North of the business is an antique store.
“We opened as a convenience store with hardware and lumber,” employee Carmen Cattrell said. “After a short time, we added gifts and clothing.”
Kathy Kennedy opened Kathy’s General Store in September 1989 in a small building at the junction of 190th Road and the busy north-south highway. She quickly learned the original building didn’t have enough room for all the items her customers wanted to buy. So after about a year, she built to the west, doubling the space for the business’ inventory.
Two other additions — one to the south, the other to the north — have been added since then to provide even more room.
Kennedy’s daughter, Jeanie Wege, worked at the convenience store during her high school and college years. After teaching high school for 10 years, she returned to work at Kathy’s General Store about three years ago and is now a co-owner.
Wege said the gift shop started out by offering work gloves, western-style boots and hats and Minnetonka moccasins.
“It was mostly men’s clothing in the beginning,” she said.
Today, the business offers a large selection of footwear, including Ariat, Justin, Double-H, Durango, Rocky and Roper brands, and clothing carrying the Wrangler, Cinch, Cruel Girl, Woolrich, Koret, Picadilly and Walls & Smith labels. The shop’s newest additions are Berne Apparel and Under Armor products.
