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For Dawn Boisseau, the time was right to open a new market in Olmstead, a community several miles from the closest town of Russellville.

The idea of a small town market is not a new one for the area, in fact Ms. Boisseau opened her market in a building that once housed the Olmstead Cafe & Market years prior. It has been years though since a store appeared in the landscape of this farming community and Boisseau hopes to be able to once again offer the basic necessities people need without having to travel long distances to get them.

“First the Keysburg store and then the Allensville Store closed, people need somewhere to go to pick up odds and ends,” said Boisseau, who is selling snacks, soft drinks, candy bars, chips, canned goods, milk, butter, cigarettes and fresh sandwiches among several other goods.

The Olmstead Market opened May 21st and since then has been drawing in the customers, said Boisseau. Hours for the store’s operation are Monday through Friday 6 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 6 a.m.-2 p.m. Boisseau said she wanted to make sure she was open after women came home from work because that is when they begin cooking supper and may find out they don’t have an ingredient they need.

When the market opened, Boisseau said she had customers coming in asking if she sold hamburgers, so she felt if the need was there and she needed to accommodate. Now she will be adding hamburgers and cheeseburgers to the menu.

A lot of her customers will be farmers who will be needing lunch. Boisseau said customers can call ahead if they chose and she will get their order started before they arrive to help with quicker service.

“This is a community store and I hope everybody and anybody will come out,” said Boisseau. There is a suggestion box in the market for customers to supply ideas for Boisseau to offer in her market.

Boisseau said she came up with the idea of the market after being laid off. She said worked as a paralegal for three years, but then lost her job. Opening a market just seemed to make sense. She grew up in the Olmstead community and remembered a store being there. This is a need she feels the community has and one she wants to fill.

If you would like to pre-order your lunch or supper you can call call 772-1314.