Why Burkholder’s in Penns Valley earned national honors over 2,600 competing grocers
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- One of nine 2026 IGA Centennial Retailers chosen from 2,600+ stores.
- Recognized for excellence in operations, innovation, service and community.
- Local sourcing, sponsorships and a 1,200-panel solar carport boosted resilience.
Penns Valley residents and friends thought Jesse Burkholder was more than a little crazy when he opened Burkholder’s Country Market at its current location in 1992. Critics told the business owner it’d never work in a place so rural — even if some locals were forced to take monthly trips to State College for groceries.
Count Thursday’s public ceremony as another mark in the “Told you so” department.
Burkholder’s, long a community staple, was recently named one of the country’s top independent grocers of 2026. Out of more than 2,600 U.S. stores, it was one of nine to formally earn a designation as a 2026 Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) USA Centennial Retailer of the Year.
IGA President and CEO John Ross toured the store with officials Thursday and presented co-owners Russ and Stephanie Burkholder — who took over for Russ’ dad Jesse — with a framed certificate and a surprise $500 check to throw employees a party.
“It’s our most prestigious award, and what it says is it doesn’t matter if you’re a 100,000-square-foot superstore in the suburbs or you’re a 25,000-square-foot store in a more rural community,” Ross told the CDT. “It’s not about total sales. It’s about the care and love you put into it, so the whole community thinks of you as being part of their family, too. And when you do that, you can obviously see it in the store.”
How it came together
The annual award, which carries extra weight this year for the IGA’s 100th anniversary, was created to honor grocers who excel in operations, innovation, customer service and community leadership. Grocers are nominated by their Licensed Distribution Centers.
Russ and Stephanie learned they were in the running for the honor last fall and were invited by the IGA last month to a free trip to Las Vegas for a related conference, marking their first-ever vacation to the Entertainment Capital of the World. “It was a little overwhelming,” Russ said with a laugh.
But the humble husband-and-wife team didn’t exactly shout the award from the rooftops. Most customers walking through the aisles Thursday had no idea about the honor, or why so many men in tailored suits were pacing around the bakery.
“I had no idea,” said Walt Mills, a regular shopper from Spring Mills. “But they’re nice people. I like the owners of the store, the Burkholders, because they’ve been local community members for a long time.”
Russ’ father Jesse, who used to farm, opened a storefront in downtown Millheim in 1985. Seven years later, he relocated about a mile west to the current spot. His early emphasis on locally sourced foods from nearby farms was ahead of its time, and customers flocked to the store — some driving past a Giant or Weis in favor of Burkholder’s whoopie pies and freshly battered chicken.
The store expanded in 2000 by doubling in size. Jesse retired in 2013 but still arrives every morning to make sure the floors are sparkling. And his son has made sure to only build on his father’s community-first foundation.
“To me, that’s the goal,” Russ Burkholder said. “That’s what I believe my calling is — to improve the community, to hire the community, be a blessing to them and to reinvest back into the area.”
Supporting the community
That isn’t just lip service. Burkholder’s Country Market supports all sorts of fundraisers, silent auctions, fire departments and sports teams.
And its commitment to everything local has built-in benefits, such as being more immune to shortages than other grocers. During COVID, for example, Burkholder’s nearly always boasted eggs and milk, partly because some farms were just a phone call and short delivery away. Russ smiled while remembering the chalk art and accompanying posterboard that greeted employees during one Monday amid the pandemic, thanking Burkholder’s for it all.
And that doesn’t include so many other elements that make Burkholder’s unique, from the hot bar with its famed double-breaded chicken to its 1,200-solar-panel carport to the 100-plus local farms that supply the store.
Russ said his father obviously never got into the business for awards. But the Burkholders remain grateful for the recognition.
“As a rule of thumb, independent small businesses are kind of in trouble. Across the country, there’s less and less every year,” Russ said. “So this is a lot of hard work, it’s a lot of stress. So, to get something like this, it’s rewarding. Even though it doesn’t put sales in the till, it feels good to be acknowledged for your hard work.”
The Burkholders are also invited to a September gala in Atlanta to celebrate their award alongside other similarly recognized grocery stores in the U.S. and the world. Although the IGA doesn’t announce an overall “international” winner, it will announce the top U.S. store of 2026 in September — and Burkholder’s is among the nine contenders, which range from Harvest Market IGA in Fort Bragg, California, to Carlie C’s in Louisburg, North Carolina.
