Since Sam Lensing became the owner of Sam’s Main Street Market 20 years ago, he has maintained the grocery store’s legacy as a community pillar where Solon residents can catch up with neighbors and grab what they need.
The local grocery store is a strong symbol of Solon’s community spirit, thanks in large part to Lensing’s steady hand and his deep commitment to keeping things personal.
“The beginning of the store was around 1975,” Lensing said. “They opened up in a building across the street where Bluebird Diner is currently. Then, when this property came available, they built on this location. That was, I would think, 1978.”
The store was originally named Jack and Jill and was founded by Ron and Bob Hendricks, who co-owned and operated it for several years. When Bob left to open a new store in Central City, Iowa, Ron continued operating the market on his own.
Lensing began working for Hendricks in 1989, learning the rhythms of a business that served as both a grocery and a gathering place for Solon. By 1995, the store had nearly doubled in size after an expansion that added new space for produce and groceries. Lensing recalled that time as challenging for small-town stores.
“It was a pretty tough year because that’s when Target and Walmart introduced their grocery sections,” he said. “It was kind of a crunch on the labor supply, too, because telemarketing companies were hiring all the high school kids.”
When Hendricks decided to step back, he passed ownership to Lensing. Hendricks, who is also Lensing’s father-in-law, had groomed Lensing over the years to step into the role of owner.
“We renamed it Sam’s Main Street Market in 2001 before I actually took over ownership,” Lensing said.
The new name gave the store a personal touch that reflected Lensing’s growing role in the business.
The biggest challenge came in 2008. On Thanksgiving Day, a pop machine’s electrical cord sparked a devastating fire.
“It was just unfortunate. That shut us down. It took about nine months, which I thought was pretty good, to rebuild,” Lensing said.
Although the fire was limited to about four aisles, the entire store sustained extensive smoke and heat damage, which required the store to undergo an extensive renovation.
“They stripped everything off the walls except for the two-by-four studs and spent most of their time doing a lot of that detail cleaning to get rid of the toxic smoke smell,” he said.
Even with the setback, Lensing found ways to keep the market running.
“We operated over where the strip mall was,” he said. “The owners rented two spots to us, and we ran a grocery store out of there. We kept some customer loyalty that way.”
When the store reopened in 2009, it was essentially new, with updated equipment, wiring, and a clean start.
Lensing said community connection has always been the most important part of the business.
“There’s a lot of interaction with events, with schools, and it’s incredible all the sports going on in town here for youth and everything,” he said.
Karen McFarland-Miller worked at the store as a high school student in the 1970s. She moved back to Solon in the early 2000s and has been working at the grocery store again for a few years. She said that community spirit still defines Sam’s Main Street Market.
“He does a whole lot for the community,” said McFarland-Miller, who noted that Lensing has a soft heart. “We sell to the pantry at a very, very, low cost.”
Lensing emphasized the importance of contributing to the food pantries, especially as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are potentially being defunded on Nov. 1 due to the federal government shutdown.
“Things are getting real tough,” he said.
McFarland-Miller said the market has always been a place where people come together.
“I live in the same town with a lot of my classmates, and we don’t get to see each other, but I get to see them here,” she said.
Regular customers like Karen Jensen of Solon echo that feeling. Jensen stops in daily.
“I live three blocks down the alley, so it’s convenient to always walk,” she said. “I come here once or twice a day sometimes.”
Jensen said her favorite thing about the market is that it carries her cigarettes.
“I smoke Camel non-filters. I have for 50 years, and they’re the most expensive cigarette on the market,” she said. “They’re $15 a pack, but they carry them for me.”
Jensen laughed as she described how she helps out around the store.
“I’m the only one that buys them,” she said of her Camel non-filter cigarettes.. “When they’re out, I restack the shelves because I’m the only one that buys them.”
