MORAN — After a meeting Thursday evening, the Marmaton Market board decided the fate of the town’s only grocery store: the business will close.
Mounting debt and weak sales had long threatened the small-town store, which first shut its doors “until further notice” on Sept. 3. The board confirmed that closure will now be permanent.
The store’s financial troubles are steep. Marmaton Market owes about $26,000 in unpaid bills and $3,200 in payroll, in addition to a $242,000 Small Business Administration (SBA) loan. Utility bills due to the city total more than $4,200.
To break even, the store needed $1,400 in daily sales. Instead, recent sales have averaged closer to $600 — less than half of what was required.
Board Chair Ken McWhirter said the board will meet with the store’s general manager, Marilyn Logan, on Monday to take inventory of the remaining items.
“We’ll be contacting vendors to see what we can send back to them,” he said. McWhirter noted that they would attempt to sell the remaining inventory, but dates to do so have not yet been determined.
As for the outstanding SBA loan, McWhirter noted that conversations with officials still lie ahead.
“We will be getting ahold of the Small Business Administration to find out what will be required and what the next steps will be,” he said.
For Moran residents, the decision leaves the community without a grocery store — a loss many had hoped to avoid.
