MALVERN, Iowa — The community of Malvern and persons online are raising funds to try and keep the town’s only grocery store from going under. Five-years ago a fire destroyed Mulholland’s Grocery in Malvern. The store is more than 150-years-old and family-run. Fourth-generation owner Tom Mulholland worked to reopen the store after three long years. But now, he says it’s a struggle to pay off the price tag of rebuilding.
With insurance having not been enough to cover the costs, he told KETV in Omaha he’s about $700,000 in debt, and there’s despite the store having enough business. It’s the monthly loan payments that are causing him to struggle to keep the doors open. During the years of rebuilding, the town and the surrounding area was left without a grocery store.
At 66 years old, Mulholland works 65 hours a week to keep the store running. Then the community found out he was using his retirement savings to help pay off the rebuilding loans. An online fundraiser is trying to help pay off the loans. So far, it’s raised $38,000.
Mulholland said he just wants to keep his family’s legacy alive and keep his hometown from becoming a food desert.
