Be delighted by local farmers & small businesses at new Johnson County general store
The old white house at 11405 Johnson Drive, just west of the heart of downtown Shawnee, has hosted several occupants over the years: a law office, a chiropractor's clinic, a gift shop called The Red Thread.
On Wednesday, Franklin General Store opened in the space. Owners Brooke and Dave Franklin have stocked it with a curated blend of the practical and the artisanal: organic strawberries from Happy Hollow Farm, bread from Overland Park's Wooden Spoon KC, and small-batch cheeses from Hemme Brothers Creamery — all made without preservatives, artificial colors, or hard-to-pronounce chemicals.
'Besides farmers markets, there aren't a lot of opportunities for local farmers to get their products out there,' said Brooke, who previously worked for the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service, an agency that helps farmers become more sustainable. 'I wanted to create a place where you could go to get local, support local, and also know you're getting clean ingredients.'
Franklin General Store carries goods from about 50 local farms or producers. The store was developed with help from a $55,000 SEED (Shawnee Entrepreneurial and Economic Development) loan, part of a city program that supports small business growth downtown. The loan is partially forgivable as jobs are created or other goals are met.
The store offers rotating baked goods (on opening day, it was a peach bar) and plans to roll out grab-and-go sandwiches soon, made with local bread, meats, and produce. On tap: kombucha. In the cooler: pies, chicken sausages, steaks and other local meats. And tucked in one aisle, a collection of lotions and balms that wouldn't look out of place in a high-end apothecary — but come from nearby farms.
It's not all edible. Franklin's also stocks Valley Feed from Bonner Springs for backyard chickens, plus birdseed and native grass seeds to support pollinators and local wildlife.
Open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Franklin's aims to serve the growing number of daytime strollers exploring downtown Shawnee.
'There's more nightlife around here now, but we're also seeing more people walking around during the day,' Brooke said. 'So we're trying to serve some of those people and take advantage of a little bit of that new foot traffic.'
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