BAXTER, Iowa — Baxter’s only grocery store is closing, leaving residents with a 20-minute drive for their grocery runs.

Andrew Havens, the owner of Baxter Family Market, said that business has steadily declined since the end of the pandemic.

“Then just the last few years after the lockdown lifted, people just kind of drifted away, got in the different habits,” Havens said.

Havens said that the grocery business has low profit margins.

“Grocery, you live on the penny. It’s penny profits. You’re down to sometimes half percent. Just looking at trying to tweak things, get the most out of it. You can, you know, the most amount of milk with the least amount of moo,” Havens said.

Havens said its difficult to compete with larger chain grocers.

“Being smaller, I don’t have the purchasing power. We don’t get always the best deals from some of the larger distributors,” Havens said.

Bunny Churchill, the owner of Benola’s Pub & Patio, a local business in Baxter, said she is sad to see Baxter Family Market close.

“We always want to see more businesses in a small town, right? That’s what helps drive people to the community. So from my perspective, it’s very sad. I think that if we want to grow Baxter, we need to have more businesses, more more things that will draw people to the community,” Churchill said.

Baxter residents will need to drive 20 minutes away to Newton for the nearest grocery store.