A Wisconsin community has lost its only full-service grocery store after more than four decades. The closure follows another recent family-owned market shutdown, but the impact in Townsend is especially sharp because no other supermarket remains in town.
Mike’s Super Market closed October 31 after 44 years in the Janesch family. The store at 17887 State Highway 32 carried a full line of groceries along with beer, liquor, bakery items, produce and fresh meat.
Why the family decided to close
Mike and Marge Janesch bought the store in 1982. Their son Steve and his wife, Shelly, returned in 1997 and operated it for the next 29 years, with other relatives and their sons also helping in the business. The location’s grocery roots stretch back further: it operated as Ehler’s Super Market before the Janesches bought it. Steve said some regular customers had known him since he was nine years old.
The owners said independent grocers have struggled with rising overhead and limited purchasing power. Large chains can negotiate corporate deals that allow them to sell some products for less than a small store can pay to stock them.
The family had also tried to sell the business for years. A for-sale sign stood outside the store for three years, but potential buyers did not believe the local sales volume was high enough to continue operating it. The Janesches ultimately decided to sell the remaining inventory and put the property on the market.
Time and stress also played a role. Running the store kept the owners tied to the business seven days a week, and they wanted more time for family. They said they were not retiring and planned to remain in the area.
Townsend shoppers now face a longer grocery trip
For residents, the biggest change is distance. The owners identified a grocery store in Lakewood, about six miles away, as the closest alternative. Other full-service options are farther away in communities including Crandon, Rhinelander and Antigo.
The loss goes beyond pantry staples. Mike’s combined produce, meat, bakery and other everyday departments under one roof, giving Townsend shoppers a hometown option instead of requiring a drive to another community.
What happens to the building
The store’s shelving and equipment remained in place while the family marketed the property, preserving the possibility that another grocery operator could use the space. No buyer or replacement market had been announced when the owners disclosed the shutdown.
The closure removes a locally owned business and leaves Townsend without a full-service supermarket of its own. Unless another grocer takes over the building, residents will depend on neighboring communities for a complete grocery trip.
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