After 120 years in business, a sixth-generation family grocery store in Atchison is preparing to close its doors for good.Van Dyke Grocery, a locally owned staple since 1906, will shut down in two weeks, marking the end of an era for the community and the family that has operated it for more than a century.Owner Kyle Van Dyke said the milestone is something to be proud of.“We made it 120 years, so that’s something to be proud of,” he said.But pride is mixed with heartbreak.The store has been in the family since 1906, passed down through six generations. Over the decades, it became more than just a grocery store. Customers were greeted by name. Conversations stretched across checkout counters. Families returned week after week.Van Dyke said increasing competition and rising overhead costs gradually cut into profits, making it difficult for the independent store to survive.“So it’s going to be hard, but it is what it is,” he said.Closing the store means saying goodbye not only to a business, but to relationships built over decades.“I know everybody loves this place as much as we do,” Van Dyke said.He said the hardest moments come when longtime customers walk through the door, knowing it could be the last time he sees them.“When you see some of those faces come around the corner and it really hits you that this could be the last time I see them … you’re going to miss their conversation,” he said.For many in Atchison, Van Dyke Grocery was a place rooted in history, where generations of the same family stocked shelves, greeted neighbors and built a legacy that lasted 120 years.In two weeks, that chapter will close.
After 120 years in business, a sixth-generation family grocery store in Atchison is preparing to close its doors for good.
Van Dyke Grocery, a locally owned staple since 1906, will shut down in two weeks, marking the end of an era for the community and the family that has operated it for more than a century.
Owner Kyle Van Dyke said the milestone is something to be proud of.
“We made it 120 years, so that’s something to be proud of,” he said.
But pride is mixed with heartbreak.
The store has been in the family since 1906, passed down through six generations. Over the decades, it became more than just a grocery store. Customers were greeted by name. Conversations stretched across checkout counters. Families returned week after week.
Van Dyke said increasing competition and rising overhead costs gradually cut into profits, making it difficult for the independent store to survive.
“So it’s going to be hard, but it is what it is,” he said.
Closing the store means saying goodbye not only to a business, but to relationships built over decades.
“I know everybody loves this place as much as we do,” Van Dyke said.
He said the hardest moments come when longtime customers walk through the door, knowing it could be the last time he sees them.
“When you see some of those faces come around the corner and it really hits you that this could be the last time I see them … you’re going to miss their conversation,” he said.
For many in Atchison, Van Dyke Grocery was a place rooted in history, where generations of the same family stocked shelves, greeted neighbors and built a legacy that lasted 120 years.
In two weeks, that chapter will close.
