Small Business Spotlight - C&E Mini Mart

Small businesses can make a BIG difference in small towns, and C&E Mini Mart is a great example!

Owner Nancy Arriaza opened C&E Mini Mart to give the Elmore community a convenient, affordable place to pick up everyday essentials. The store carries basics like milk and eggs along with meals, frozen foods, snacks, drinks, and popular Mexican beverages.

For Nancy, it's about more than running a store. Her "why" is simple: to be a place for the community. Having basic grocery items available locally is especially important during our Minnesota winters, when the next option may mean traveling to another community.

And she's already thinking about what's next! Nancy would like to continue expanding the products available locally and is exploring the possibility of adding a commercial kitchen someday—not only to prepare more food for C&E Mini Mart, but potentially to provide kitchen space for other local entrepreneurs.

Running a rural business isn't without challenges. Because distributors don't currently deliver to Elmore, Nancy travels to Mankato weekly and Albert Lea every other week to pick up inventory herself.

But what keeps her going? Happy customers. Nancy says customers have been pleased with the store's service, prices, and product selection—and happy customers make her happy! 

Thank you, Nancy and C&E Mini Mart, for investing in Elmore and helping keep everyday essentials close to home. C&E Mini Mart202 S. Hwy 169 | Elmore, MN