#InThisTogether: 27 APR 2020

With everything going on during the COVID-19 crisis, we wanted to share some of the stories about what Cook people are doing during this difficult time. All around the Cook world, we are #InThisTogether, and we would love to hear stories about how you and your coworkers are stepping up to make a difference. If you have a story to share, please email us at BlogEditor@CookMedical.com.

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A window of opportunity in Solsberry

By Jon Hancuff, manager, global Editorial Content

On March 25, a “shelter in place” order from Indiana’s governor went into effect as part of the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant that people could only travel to buy food, for medical reasons, or if they worked for an “essential” business—which are the only businesses allowed to remain open while the order is active. In addition to the facilities like medical device manufacturers, other essential businesses are gas stations and stores that sell groceries and medicine.

For the people of Solsberry, the governor’s order only reinforced something they have known since the 1930s: the Yoho General Store is an essential business.

The drive from Park 48 to Solsberry is a scenic one. It’s 14-miles of twisting, two-lane country roads that run alongside creeks, ditches, farm fields, and pastures full of animals. It is as idyllic a setting as you can imagine. In addition to the locals, you will be sharing those roads with people on their way to check out sights like the legendary Tulip Trestle and the Sculpture Trails Outdoor Museum. Solsberry is definitely in the middle of a rural setting, though. The closest grocery store, located in Bloomfield, is 12 miles away, along those same types of twisting backroads.

The town itself is the definition of “quaint”—a dozen or so houses, a volunteer fire station, a hair salon, a church, and the Yoho General Store, which has been the center of the community, and a destination for Sunday drivers, for almost 90 years. Time had not been kind to the building, which CFC Properties, the real estate arm of Cook Group, purchased in 2012 and completely renovated to its former glory. It’s now part convenience mart, part restaurant, as well as a place for people in the area to come together.

“For example, we have a group of about 10 older gentlemen who come in every morning and sit and talk for a couple of hours while they order their coffee and their breakfast,” said Megan Hood, who will celebrate her second anniversary as store manager in July. “People will drive two hours to get here on meatloaf day. We have families, bikers, etc. who stop in as they are passing through town.”

That all changed on March 15, when the governor announced that all restaurants had to cease dine-in service and could only do carry out or delivery orders. Megan and her team immediately removed all the chairs from their dining area and rearranged the tables so they couldn’t be used. Since customers were still able to come in the building to order carry out or to buy groceries, the Yoho crew made sure they had tape on the floor to show everyone where to stand to maintain an appropriate amount of social distancing. These were just the latest efforts undertaken by the store staff to ensure the safety of their patrons.

“When they were first talking about the virus, we started wearing gloves and doing more wiping down and bleaching of things that are touched often—door and cooler handles, the soda fountain,” Megan said. “We were just doing more wiping down in general—and over-washing our hands.”

There was a tiny dip in sales after the dining room was closed, but the store’s value to the community quickly became evident.

“We did feel like it was pretty amazing that we did have so many people coming in and we still have a lot of business,” Megan said. “We thought it was just going to halt, but it was nice to see that we still had that continuous flow.”

A walk up window

Then on April 9, as Indiana approached it predicted “peak date” for reported cases of COVID-19, CFC decided it was in the best of interest of its customers and employees to no longer allow patrons to enter the building. As fate would have it, though, one of the many original features that CFC kept during the restoration was a walk-up window at which people could order, pay, and receive their meal or groceries without ever setting foot inside.

Megan and her team quickly developed a system to accommodate their customers. They recommend that people call ahead with their order so that the staff has enough time to collect grocery items and make food. But if someone does want to place an order at the window, they will not be turned away. After paying, there are designated waiting areas, or customers can wait in their vehicles. When the order is ready it will either be placed at little stations designated for pickup—or the store’s employees will deliver it to the customer’s car. The entire process is designed to limit interactions and ensure that proper distancing is observed.

Despite the circumstances that have led to it being a necessity instead of just a novelty, the consensus is that having to do business through a window is not a bad thing.

“My crew actually really, really enjoys it. It’s kind of fun taking the orders through a window,” Megan said. “Everybody has been very positive. They think it’s actually very nostalgic that we are doing everything outside the window because that’s how they used to serve quite a bit of stuff. It kind of brings you back to a different time just a little bit.”

While their “product” is completely different from the rest of Cook, the mission of the Yoho General Store is the same—they want to serve their customers to the best of their abilities. It’s a job they love doing.

“There are a lot of people around here who don’t always have a way of going into town or don’t want to risk going into town to get groceries,” Megan said. “Being here for them really makes us happy.”

“I think that it is pretty amazing that we are still able to be open and still serving people,” she continued. “That’s what we do, that’s what our job is. We love the people, we love seeing their smiling faces every day. I don’t know what we would do if we didn’t see them.”

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