Grocer turning over the reins

MINSTER - Succeeding Wally Wagner as owner of the iconic Wagner's IGA is like trying to fill Woody Haye's shoes, said Leo Braido, who has acquired all three grocery stores in Minster, New Bremen and Fort Loramie.

But, as a grocer with almost four decades in the industry, Braido said he's up for the challenge.

Braido recently sold his Oberlin IGA business and moved to New Bremen to own and operate the three Wagner's IGA grocery stores, which together have about 140 employees.

He previously worked 29 years for Riesbeck's Food Market, a family-owned chain of 15 grocery stores in West Virginia and Ohio. Braido joined on at 16 and worked as a bag boy, janitor and meat cutter before ascending to general manager and becoming the highest-ranking non-family member at Riesbeck's, he said.

"In a lot of areas there's the independent, community-based grocer, which is what these stores are, who are here not only to make a living but to try to make a difference in the communities they do business in," Braido said. "That's Wagner's, and that's what I did in Oberlin and that's what we'll continue to do here."

Wagner, 65, will stay on with the grocery stores for an undetermined amount of time to help with the transition of ownership and operation.

"I'm getting close to retirement age and Leo showed interest in it and I felt it was time," Wagner said when asked the reason why he decided to sell his grocery stores.

Braido is no stranger to Wagner's IGA. He worked a year-and-a-half with the business in management eight years ago when it expanded to New Bremen. He left with the hope of returning one day.

"I love this area," he said. "It's just a great area and just great stores."

Wagner's IGA offers a broad range of foods, beverages and other items with a focus of providing, friendly, helpful customer service. Yet what sets it apart is its meats and produce, Wagner said.

"Our whole history has been built on the meat department," he said. "My grandfather had a slaughterhouse where they slaughtered all their own beef and pork, lambs, and my dad did it for awhile too," he said.

That proud tradition has been carried on with Wagner's Signature Recipes, he said.

"It's all the items that we've always made with our own recipes like all our own sausages and summer sausage," he said. "A large majority of our salads in our deli are store-made with our recipes."

Wagner and Braido look forward to celebrating an extraordinary milestone this year - Wagner IGA's 100th anniversary in October.

"We'll start a big celebration ahead of time, just do a lot of things that are fun for the community, just to make the most of it," Braido said.

Wagner's IGA was started in 1922 by A.J. Wagner, who opened his first store at 91 W. Fourth, St., Minster, according to company history. In 1934, it moved to 40 W. Fourth Street and in 1979, the store moved to its current location at 257 E. Fourth St.

Wally Wagner got his foot in the door at a young age.

"I was sorting bottles when I was like 12, 13," he said. "I always enjoyed being in the store, being around all the people."

However, he didn't think his future would lie with the grocery store.

"It was a small store downtown and we were landlocked and so there wasn't a whole lot of future in the location," he said. "At the time, when I went to college, I just never thought I would have the opportunity to come back."

That all changed his senior year when his father, Wally Wagner Sr., contemplated relocating to and remodeling a much larger building at 257 E. Fourth Street. Nearing retirement age, the elder Wagner wouldn't commit to the big move without his son's involvement.

The son didn't think twice and embraced the opportunity, he said.

After eventually taking over as third-generation owner, Wally Wagner, like other small business owners, became a jack of all trades, taking on numerous roles and positions from carrying groceries to accounting to human resources. That's what Wally Wagner said he relishes about his line of work. There's never a dull moment.

Under his watch, Wagner's IGA has awarded more than $100,000 in scholarships to students through its Dollar for Scholars Program, teamed up with local libraries for summer reading programs and partnered with Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Marys to teach people about health care and provide free routine screenings.

Having lived up to his parents' example of providing good customer service and quality product and giving back to the community, Wally Wagner in 2019 was inducted into the Ohio Grocer's Association Hall of Fame.