Community shop Brunks to close after 35 years
After 35 years of dedicated service to the local area, the community shop, Brunks, has announced its permanent closure. The owner, Curt Reynolds, points to escalating operating costs as the driving factor behind this decision, causing disappointment to ripple through the community.
The shop has come under pressure due to a rise in Illinois’s minimum wage and the financial fallout from the pandemic. These factors have eroded their customer base and increased daily operational costs. Brunks had to momentarily put a stop to their operations, despite continual efforts to adjust and stay afloat.
Reynolds mentioned the minimum wage increase has driven up prices for essentials such as fuel, food, and utilities. These price surges have put significant strain on household budgets, particularly for lower and middle-income dwellers where these basics make a substantial part of their expenses.
Brunk’s faced a monumental battle for survival during the pandemic.
End of an era: Brunks’ closure
Despite receiving a $24,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan and an additional $3,000 forgivable loan, the road to recovery remained elusive. Reynolds dug deep into his personal funds to keep the venture alive, prioritising employee wages throughout the crisis.
Recently upon announcing the closure and initiating a half price clearance sale, the community has responded massively, sweeping much of the stock away swiftly. This show of solidarity from the community in this rocky period has moved the owners. They are hopeful of clearing the remaining merchandise in the few days to come.
The Brunks store premise, with a past life as a bowling alley, is now up for sale on crexi.com. Operations will progressively wind down from August 19th, with a full shutdown by the end of October.
