Katie McCaskey

Purdue alumna Katie McCaskey, together with her husband, decided to revive a specialty grocery, George Bowers Grocery, built in 1881 in Staunton, Va.

This idea was prompted by memories of running downstairs to a local corner grocery store where McCaskey, B.A., 1996, and her husband, Brian Wiedemann, used to live. It was important to McCaskey and Wiedemann that they keep the flavor of the old-time grocery store alive, in addition to promoting local foodstuffs.

McCaskey has used her communication skills to great advantage with this startup. She said it is a rewarding experience and the business is growing.

"We started in 2008 as the markets crashed, so we're happy to be well positioned as the economy improves," she said.

The specialty grocery features local and imported foods that cannot be found in a typical supermarket. McCaskey and Wiedemann want to mainly support small food producers and local distributors. It helps foster a "sense of place" by providing a regular gathering place for community interaction, according to McCaskey. That's why they expanded to include on-site food and beverage.

"We support a web of other local businesses and by locating downtown, offer the consumer a walkable alternative for both food and entertainment," McCaskey said.

For example, George Bowers Grocery has a craft beer tasting event Friday nights, where customers are given two-ounce samples of two beers. The two samples are either from the same brewery, or they are seasonal beers from different breweries. The grocery also serves a nibble, such as sliders made from locally raised beef.

It is a very popular weekly event, McCaskey said.

Successful communication is an important part of that success. In March 2010, they became one of the first independent groceries in America to produce a smartphone app. It features updates from the grocery and news from the town of Staunton and Virginia. (Android mobile phone users can download it now. iTunes approval is forthcoming.) In addition, they send regular updates via their blog and even have their own Facebook page.

Now they are getting out the word about the grocery's new location. The grocery store was to be moved to the original George Bowers' second location in April.

Creative posters advertise the stores's moving

"The original location was a neat reference to local history," McCaskey said. "However, since the original store closed in the early 1900s, no one remembers it in operation. We've worked these last two and a half years to create the 'George Bowers' brand."

A common misconception about the self-employed is that they don't work very much, McCaskey said. Other than handling day-to-day business of the grocery store, McCaskey also works as an independent contractor specializing in online content marketing and communication.

McCaskey appreciates the real-world skills she learned in the interdisciplinary classes during her time at Purdue.

"All of these skills are necessary in business," she said. "When you discover how poorly most people communicate, you begin to understand the advantage you have when you're able to do it well."

As a young entrepreneur, McCaskey enjoys being proactive in her work and often seeks out opportunities.

"On a personal level, we get to work for ourselves, benefit directly from our hard work, express our creativity, and hey, all the free food samples and beer T-shirts we can possible enjoy!" she said.