When they decided to remodel and expand their store, it wasn't hard for the managers of Barnes Foodland to decide what business philosophy would guide them.
     The four Barnes brothers who represent the second generation of management for the DeWitt supermarket wanted to install the latest technology.
     But their decision was guided more by a tradition established by their late father, Richard "Dick" Barnes, who founded the store in August of 1949.
     "Dad started the business on a service-oriented basis," explains Mike, who along with brothers Bill, Greg and Pat, is part of the team that manages the store. (Another brother, high-school aged Brian, also works at the store as a stock clerk.)
     "We wanted to improve the various departments in the store to better serve the public," Mike added. "We feel our market area wants that."
     While that may not seem unusual in a city of DeWitt's size, that approach to business does go against a trend in the industry toward less service.
     After all, in some of the big grocery stores, not only is there no one to carry your groceries to your car, now you have to buy the sacks to put your groceries in.
     Instead, as Bill describes it, at Barnes, "We increased service up front, provided more room to shop, have a greater variety of items, added services and more hours.
     The remodeling idea took shape about two years ago, Greg says. "We wanted to put in an additional checkout lane and equip all the lanes with scanning.
     "We also wanted to put in a deli, and it seemed like the only way to do it properly was to remodel," he added.
     It wasn't the first time the store at 10th Street and Seventh Avenue had been enlarged.
     There were three major additions and several other smaller ones since Barnes moved to its present location in October of 1957.    
     But this was without question the largest. "All the previous ones didn't equal this one," Bill remarked.
     Bill, Mike and Greg had to pick each other's brains for a few minutes to recall all the changes:
     -- Retail space was increased from 9,500 square feet to 16,000 square feet. The store was also re-roofed and re-insulated.
     -- All walk-in coolers and freezers were expanded, which allows the Barneses to purchase in larger quantities and at better -prices.
     -- New compressors were installed to run the refrigeration equipment. "This system is more energy efficient," Greg explained. "It reclaims the heat generated and that is used to heat the store."
     -- Scanners were added at check-out lanes and an additional check-out lane was installed to speed up that process.
     The scanners, which automatically read the UPC price labels on products, provide a much more detailed tape receipt for customers, and they also give the store owners more advanced information on item movement.
     "Eventually, the scanners will be able to re-order automatically," Greg noted.
     -- Space for product lines - such as meat, produce, dairy, and frozen foods - was expanded, allowing for a wider variety of products to be displayed.
     -- One completely new department, the delicatessen, was added, as was a new service, catering.
         -- Hours were expanded as the store, for the first time in its long history, opened on Sundays.
     -- The number of employees was increased by 18, bringing total employment at the store to 68.
     While they have many new employees now the Barnes brothers noted that they also have some very long-time employees, including Vernon "Gabby" Fletcher, 28 years; John Burken and Eula Behr, 23 years, and Jessica Hanrahan, 18 years.
     Another three employees have been with them ever since Barnes Foodland opened its bakery. They are Darlene Rothbart and Madge Knutsen, both of whom just retired, and Dorothy Hasenmiller.
     Because of the immensity of the project, it took longer to complete than the brothers had envisioned.
     But perhaps it was more than just a happy coincidence that they were ready for their grand re-opening just in time for the store's 35th anniversary.
     Considering how strongly their father's tradition influenced the whole project, the combination of the grand re-opening and the anniversary was a nice way to wrap things up.
     It certainly was no coincidence that Mike harkened back to his father's way of doing business when summing up.
     "For 35 years we've stressed services, quality and fair, low prices. This is what we want to continue to do."

Article reprint courtesy of the DeWitt Observer. 
Article on the front page of a special section entitled, Progress,
and was posted on March 30th, 1985.