Residents of the Mayes County town of Chouteau find themselves without a supermarket. The lone grocery store in the town of nearly 3,000 people has closed. The nearest supermarkets are miles away, in either Pryor or Locust Grove.
The Mayor of Chouteau is Brenda Cunningham. She was told the store was “not profitable enough” for the owner to keep it open. The sales tax hit will be enormous for the town, but she says it is the citizens that she worries the most about.
Chouteau has one of the largest Amish communities in the state. The Amish do not use automobiles. The old supermarket had hitching posts for horse-and-buggies. Taking a buggy, 20 miles to buy groceries, is not an option for many, the mayor says.
She says all of this is happening at a time when her community is poised from growth. The newly announced Canoo Electric Car facility is within the boundaries of the Chouteau schools. A new housing addition is being constructed behind the closed supermarket.
Mayor Cunningham says she is meeting with entrepreneurs, trying to find one interested in opening a grocery store in Chouteau.