On Feb. 13, Bailey’s Farm Market opened its doors for the very first time. Bailey’s, owned by John and Holly Grills, aims to provide downtown Oberlin with a one-stop shop for grocery needs and beyond. Inside their Main Street shop, customers can find meat, produce, pantry items like pasta and jams, local artists’ work, and a full soap refillery where users can sustainably obtain soaps, detergents, and more without plastic waste.

Holly Grills explained how the idea for the soap refillery developed. 

“[It] was requested a couple of different times from people already living in Oberlin,” she said. “They thought it was a good idea, and we researched and researched, and all the products have been tried [through] trial and error in our own home for months before we even offered or considered bringing it up here to sell to the community. It’s a really strong, important thing to keep our footprint as small as possible and be aware of the waste. So we’re hoping … that there’s good feedback from it.”

Holly Grills said the store matters to her and her husband because of the connection to Oberlin and their family’s history. The store is located in a building her husband’s family has owned for about 120 years.

“George Bailey was the original owner of this actual building, which would be my husband’s great-grandfather, and he had a farm right outside of town and raised cattle,” she said.  “The family hung onto the building through four generations, and his grandfather, William Stetson, had the sports shop here. And then we had an opportunity to purchase the building from the family, and we decided to bring some of Oberlin’s history back to life — naming it after the original owner to honor him.”

Nearly all of the selection within the store comes from local vendors and farmers, many of whom reside near Oberlin. The Grills are farmers themselves, and much of the meat comes from their own farm. When they’re not running the shop, John Grills works full-time as a farmer.

Oberlin Business Partnership Executive Director Abbie Fox stressed the importance of a community-oriented grocer like Bailey’s to the economy.

“As far as our local economy, Bailey’s Farm Market is fantastic,” Fox said. “They’re supporting other local farms and resourcing things locally, instead of far away or from overseas.”

However, she argued that this did not resolve the lack of walkable grocery options Oberlin has been facing. In late 2025, the Oberlin IGA closed until further notice. Questions surrounding whether or not the store will be reopened remain unanswered. For many students and members of the community, IGA was their only option for walkable groceries. Walmart and Aldi, other grocery alternatives, are miles away for much of the town and are only accessible via busy roads, often with no sidewalk present. 

“I think that this will help immensely, but I don’t think that it’s going to fix the overall problem,” Fox said. “We definitely need a larger-scale grocery store. [Bailey’s is] going to be great. I just don’t think it’s going to fix our food desert issue.”

Still, Bailey’s offers a new solution in the center of town, and Fox addressed concerns about the market’s affordability.

“A lot of people shy away from small shops because they immediately think that they’re outrageously priced, which is not true,” Fox said. “With Bailey’s, because they are sourcing locally, it might be a little bit more expensive, but you’re getting better quality foods, and you’re getting healthier options.”

​Grills stressed that their store aims to be as affordable as it can be.

“We … try to keep our prices as respectful as possible, understanding that either low or high, it doesn’t matter,” Grills said. “To us, it’s important that everybody has an opportunity.” 

She said they were working to allow EBT as payment and are interested in making Obie Dollars acceptable as well. 

Grills said she was excited to make Bailey’s part of the Oberlin community.

“[We’re] so grateful for the support that we’ve been shown from the community, and it has just been a wonderful start,” Grills said. “We love everybody that comes in and tells us the history of Oberlin … Our roots are so deep in Oberlin that we just love hearing everybody’s stories. If there’s anything people can’t find here, just let us know, and we’ll see if we can’t find it.”