One of the many duties as store manager at G&W Foods in Iola puts Daniel Gile on the road once a week.
Hes the one responsible for delivering loads of groceries to customers who take advantage of G&Ws delivery service.
Its a duty he gladly accepts looks forward to even.
We try to give it a personal touch Gile said. And its kind of nice to get to know people who otherwise wouldnt be able to come to the store.
So each Tuesday, Gile takes sacks of food to shut-ins, mostly elderly, who greet him with a friendly smile, a sense of gratitude, and an occasional request. Local deliveries cost $2; its $4 for deliveries outside a five-mile radius.
Our customers look forward to it, Gile said Its not just a service, but its the interaction, getting to know our customers. And its fun that way.
One lady even asked Gile recently if hed stop by the post office for her on his way back to the store. (He did, of course.)
I dont mind, he chuckled. Well serve the community however we can.
Its been that way in the 12 months since G&W opened its doors in downtown Iola.
To mark the occasion, the store kicked off a two-week-long anniversary sale, which started Wednesday.
On top of the stores regular weekly sales, G&W will offer special discounts on a number of goods, with other promotions coming each day.
Were going to bring in some new cookies and cakes from our bakery, and really promote the bakery side, Gile said. Id say 9 out of 10 people who come into the store dont even realize we have a bakery.
The bakery offers special personalized cakes, fresh cookies and a wide assortment of other delicacies.
THE FIRST 12 months since G&W opened have gone by in a flash, Gile admitted.
Gile oversees a staff of about 50. He expects that number to grow to about 60 within the next year or so.
