We’ve all lived through a unique shared experience that generations after us may never experience or fully comprehend. In 2020, we pressed pause on normal life for months as a global pandemic raged, watched as nature healed, and re-evaluated what is important in our lives. Back in the early days of COVID, Rheanna Todd was juggling a stressful job, caring for two young sons with her husband, and helping run the family farm. With life as we knew it suddenly at a standstill, Todd saw an opportunity to forge a new path. The result, Route 24 Farm Store, has since become one of the best small businesses in Missouri.

Interested to learn about other unique American small businesses? Our Small Business Spotlight series highlights the often-overlooked work of small business owners across the country, from Maine to Southern California.

Communities in rural Missouri tend to be tight-knit, and that’s especially true in Wellington, a small town with just under 800 residents. It is in this small town that Rheanna Todd, her husband, and two sons live on a farm, the inspiration for Route 24 Farm Store.

The small town bakery and convenience store has become the kind of place you see on an old TV show or, if you’re Gen X or older, what you remember from childhood. Going to the store on your own for mom and dad, learning to count when you’re given change back, and leaving cash on the counter when the power – and the cash register – goes out.

But behind what Todd calls “running our business like a Hallmark movie” is a tale of taking a chance, a lot of hard work, and the unwavering support of her family and the community.

The story of Route 24 Farm Store begins when Todd quit her job during the pandemic to focus on managing the family farm. She also had the opportunity to indulge in one of her longtime passions: baking. She began baking bread, which she then sold at the local community night, but she craved more.

“I am a very driven person and needed more to stay busy,” Todd says. “Eventually we began remodeling a building to include a small retail space for me to sell my baked goods. We opened in May of 2022 and have slowly been expanding the store and growing the business since.”

Route 24 Farm Store, which recently added seating, has become a go-to spot for the entire community. While it serves a delicious selection of sandwiches, pizza, and baked goods, the shop is perhaps best known for its jumbo cookies and freeze-dried candy.

While Todd makes success look easy, she’s the first to admit that there’s a lot that goes into running a business. “Owning a business is by far the hardest thing that I have ever done. I have never operated a retail business like this before so there is always something to learn,” she says. “While I love learning, it also means I never feel fully in control of what is happening with my business because there is still MORE to learn.”

She attributes her success, in part, to the strong work ethic her parents instilled in her and to the unwavering support her family provides – from the encouragement her parents and husband offer to covering shifts when she needs it.

One thing makes all of the challenges of small business ownership worth it for Todd, and that’s the customers. “It’s feeling like I get to be part of their lives. I hear their stories, get to hold their babies, laugh with them, and sometimes cry with them,” she says. “Making our customers happy makes me happy. It’s an honor to have the trust of the community.”

Anyone who shops at Route 24 Farm Store in Missouri will notice the Donation Tip Jar at the counter. This isn’t a normal tip jar; it’s a way for Todd to give back to the community that has supported her from the very beginning. Each month she chooses a community organization and donates the tips, which can also be added to credit card transactions.

“It is absolutely amazing how much money we raise each month. It’s usually around $1,500,” Todd says. “We just provide the opportunity for people to be generous and they come through every time. I’m so proud to have the honor of presenting the check every month, but the spotlight should definitely be on our customers.”

In the above photo, Route 24 Farm Store owner Rheanna Todd donates $1,700 to the Kids First Education Foundation.

Many thanks to owner Rheanna Todd for sharing the story and history of Route 24 Farm Store for OIYS' 2024 Small Business Spotlight. Learn more and support this iconic Missouri shop by visiting Route 24 Farm Store’s Facebook page.

Of course, Route 24 Farm Store is one of many amazing businesses in Missouri that’s doing great things in the state. If you have another business you’d like to see profiled on Only In Missouri, please nominate them for a chance to be featured. And be sure to follow Only In Missouri on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know on the state’s events, restaurants, local businesses, and hidden gems.