MATTOON — If you value being able to visit a store where the owner is part of your community and you know that the business relies on being respected in Coles County, then there is just one option for your supermarket shopping.
That’s Mark’s My Store in Mattoon.
Located at 1512 Marion Ave., Mark’s My Store is the only locally owned and operated supermarket in Coles County.
“Being locally owned allows us to interact with Mattoon community,” said owner Mark Elliott. “We proudly support Lake Land College Athletics, Mattoon Chamber of Commerce, Mattoon YMCA, Mattoon Food Center along with many youth basketball, baseball and softball organizations.”
The store is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. They have 15 full-time employees and 25 part-time employees.
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Since Mark’s My Store is family owned, it’s a place where generations come together.
“Family-owned means that all of our children have worked with us at some point along with our parents,” Mark Elliott says. “This family atmosphere allows our employees to also be a part of our extended family.”
And there is nothing more important to owners Mark and Gretchen Elliott than the way they and their employees treat the store’s loyal customers. To them, customer service is the No. 1 priority.
“The reason we have a job is the fact that our customers walk through the doors,” Mark Elliott said. “We also bag the groceries for you and carry them out to the vehicle. If you are unable to visit us in person, we have our Home Delivery Service six days a week."
Mark and Gretchen Elliott have owned the business since 2010.
My Store originally opened in 1955 under the ownership of Pasquo and Richard Podeschi. A fire destroyed the original building in 1967, but the Podeschis rebuilt the store in the same location. In the mid-1980s, ownership was transferred to Rick Podeschi, who owned the store until the Elliotts took over in 2010.
The Elliotts do what they can to provide the best food for everyone who visits their store.
“Our meat department is inspected daily by the United States Department of Agriculture to verify cleanliness and proper sanitation procedures,” Mark Elliott said. “This keeps our customers safe and keeps our meat the freshest in town. No other supermarket offers this in Coles County.”
And for anyone with a sweet tooth, Mark’s My Store has that taken care of for you, too.
“The best kept secret about the store is our fresh bakery,” Mark Elliott said. “Although the bakery is not seen to the public, we bake fresh bread, cake and pies daily along with our famous homemade noodles.”
