Hayfield Grocery adding hardware items

Hayfield Grocery has now added hardware items to its stock. The store has set aside a portion of the facility and is now carrying a limited supply of hardware items.
The store, formerly Ryan’s, has been under new ownership since last December when it was purchased by Albert Lea businessman Victor Patel.
The future of the local grocery store had been in doubt last fall when the then-owner said he may be forced to close the store because of the cost of doing necessary repairs to the business.
Patel said that he is continuing to work on the issues with the building. December was tough, he said, because water was leaking into the building at that time. The complete roof repairs are still among the remaining projects.
“We can’t do everything at once,” he said.”
Patel, a native of India, said he moved to the southern Minnesota area from Milwaukee in 2006. Since then, he has operated retail stores in Albert Lea and Austin but Hayfield is his first venture into the grocery business, he said.
Patel said his businesses are family owned and several family members are working at the Hayfield store.
The grocery, he said, has a complete selection of meat, produce, and pantry items.
Since there was no hardware store in Hayfield the decision was made to add a limited number of hardware items to the stock. The hardware store portion of the operation is not connected to a hardware store chain but will be a benefit to community members who will not have to drive out-of-town to get common hardware items.