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Unique Eats: South Dayton Supermarket

You would not expect a small town grocery store to be a destination but that is exactly what South Dayton Supermarket says it is.

SOUTH DAYTON, N.Y.-- When picking a store to get your groceries, you might have a preferred one. It is probably, in large part, based on location.

Why drive out of your way for your apples when you can pretty much get the same quality at the same price, right around the corner?

Well, Jeff Eklund, President of South Dayton Supermarket, said even if you do not live nearby, his South Dayton store is worth every mile.

"It's the family operation with all the people," Eklund said about what sets his place apart.

Yes, the people. Instantly, when you walk in the small-town grocery store, you feel the warmth (and that's not just the heaters!).It is family run with employees that have stuck around for 20, 30 or even 40 years.

They are friendly from the time you walk in to the time they walk you back out to your car, grocery bags in hand.

But there is another draw that Eklund said his store has become known for.

"The donuts have been here for 35 years now," Eklund explained. "They just keep getting better and better. These are just done the old fashioned way, just by hand, so it takes longer but we think it's worth it and we're going to stick with that."

Eklund said people drive great distances for their donuts. They are so popular, in fact, that they may start a shipping option for out-of-state orders.

Apple fritters seem to fly off the shelves first but on a weekend, Eklund said they cannot keep any of the shelves stocked.

In addition to road-trip-worthy donuts, they also have a butcher where they do specialty meat smoking and make their own sausage. They also have a pharmacy.

"Small communities close to us unfortunately don't have a supermarket right now," Eklund said. "With the influx of the internet, Amazon and the large dollar store chains, it's really making it difficult to survive in this climate for a store like us."

That makes it all the more meaningful that this supermarket is celebrating 50 years of serving the South Dayton community. That's 50 years of friendly service, fresh food and fry cakes!

South Dayton Supermarket is located on Pine Street in South Dayton. They are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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