By Sarah Pope
The new owners of the Waldo Grain Co., George and Traci Ismert, may be new to the retail business, but they certainly aren’t new to Waldo. Both have deep roots in the area and a love for all things historic.
“(Friends and family) know that this type of business is new to us, but our love for Waldo history and old buildings runs deep,” George said. “So purchasing a 100-year-old barn on Wornall with the oldest business in Waldo was an opportunity we couldn’t refuse.”
The Ismerts first became acquainted with the business as customers.
“We were buying all the goods for our backyard chickens there and loved that we could just pull up to the front door, throw the big bag of feed in the trunk and be on our way,” George said. “There’s really nothing like that anymore and we wanted to preserve that kind of customer service that has been in place from that barn for 100 years.”
One of their most immediate plans is to celebrate the barn’s ‘birthday’ with a party this summer. The Ismerts’ love of history comes through in another of their business ventures.
George and Traci, along with business partner Joe Hendrickson, own the Waldo Astoria, an event space at 220 W. 80th Terr. To create that space, the trio renovated a turn-of-the-century home that had been filled for decades with offices and transformed it to a stylish venue with plenty of design nods to the 1920s and the Art Deco movement.
Along those lines, the Ismerts would like to display some of the ephemera relating to the Waldo Grain Co. and celebrate its long history in the area.
“There is a loft in the barn with great potential for us to display some of the historical pieces that have been used in the business over the last 100 years,” George said. “We thought about even doing a small ‘History of Waldo’ section with part of the loft.”
Other plans for the future include the creation of expanded parking while retaining the drive-up service option. The Ismerts appreciate the familiar aspects of the business, including those they knew as customers: shopping for dog food, chicken feed, birdseed, grass seed, etc.
“But we’ve really only known retail through the lens of a customer, so being on the other side of that is new, but we have a great team supporting us and we are learning more everyday,” George said. “We always leave our time in the store feeling rejuvenated and excited for the possibilities.”
They also plan to add opportunities for local educators to come in and share knowledge on topics that interest Waldo Grain Co. customers, such as attracting wild birds, growing wildflowers, raising backyard chickens and gardening tips. The Ismerts want to further expand the store’s offerings of locally sourced products.
“The store already features many locally made goods, but we’re always looking to bring in more local product,” George said. “In fact, if anyone has ideas for local vendors we should be talking to, please send us a message or give the store a call.”
The store is also looking to hire. The Ismerts ask anyone with experience selling pet or garden goods to reach out to the store or send a message through the Waldo Grain Facebook page. Since the Ismerts officially took the helm of the Waldo Grain Co. in January, business has been good.
“We were lucky that there was already a smooth operation in place, so we’re just looking for ways to make small improvements to the shopping experience while keeping all the charm and character of the barn,” George said.
Waldo Grain Co. encourages you to follow their Facebook page to stay updated on all the latest: facebook.com/waldograincompany.
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