Founded 1875: After Fire, Mulholland Grocery Endures as a Community’s Cornerstone

In Malvern, Iowa, residents have depended on Mulholland Grocery—the only grocery store in town and one of two in Mills County—for over 100 years. 

Owner Tom Mulholland’s great-grandfather started the business as a dry goods store in 1875. Several years later, the store burned down, and family members carried the original bricks to the new location a block away to rebuild. More than a century later in December 2021, before the holidays, tragedy struck again when a fire burned Mulholland Grocery to the ground.

Residents described the loss of the grocer as feeling like a death in the family. Suddenly, they had to drive long distances to get fresh food. 

Many depended on Mulholland’s generosity—Mulholland often fed people even if they couldn’t pay. While he could have taken the insurance money and retired, instead he decided to rebuild—taking on added debt—so that his community wouldn’t lose its access to fresh food.

Now, four years later, Mulholland’s is profitable, drawing customers from neighboring states who seek out its meat counter and signature product: its specialty sausages. The store also sells other house-made specialties, like breaded chicken breasts stuffed with bacon and gouda, and fully loaded breakfast bratwurst with sautéed onions and peppers, plus basic grocery items. Also boosting profits are new revenue streams, including Tuesday-through-Friday lunch service, an initiative born from an employee’s idea. 

“I knew going into this that it was very slim chances I was going to be able to make this work,” Mulholland said about the rebuild. “But it was so important for the future of the community I was willing to take that risk.” He wouldn’t let Malvern become a food desert.

Returning to the family business after 17 years away—bringing with him a reputation as one of Omaha's best meat cutters

Mulholland became part of the family business in 2008 when he bought the grocer from an owner outside the family; the store had been out of family hands for 17 years. At the time, Mulholland was working in Omaha as a meat department manager at the former Wohlner's Neighborhood Grocery & Deli. A local newspaper once called Mulholland one of the best meat cutters in Omaha, and he brought that expertise when he took over.

Mulholland’s first task was to put the family name back on the business and double down on the meat counter and its products. Over the next decade, he watched as neighboring communities lost their local grocery stores. Mulholland was proud to help fill a void in the area, serving Malvern’s roughly 1,000 residents, many of whom don’t drive, with their groceries. “It means a lot to have something close,” he said.

When the fire destroyed Mulholland’s, cleanup was delayed as structural engineers debated the safety of an adjoining wall. Then Mulholland switched construction companies, further pushing out the timeline, and construction didn’t start until 2024. 

To cover costs, Mulholland took out a $700,000 loan on top of his insurance payout. Loan payments and operating expenses drove his business account into overdraft for months, and he’s had to dip into his retirement savings to keep up with payments and bills. “It hasn't been easy," he said. But a GoFundMe campaign and donations from residents raised several thousand dollars, helping pull him out of the red. 

The grocery store is now profitable with added revenue streams like its popular—and ‘Chef Cheryl’–branded—Tuesday-to-Friday lunch service

The grocery store reopened last year, three years and one week after the fire. Lunch service days—the grocery store offers rotating specials for meals like tacos and tuna noodle casserole—often account for 25% of a given day’s business. 

Mulholland gave Cheryl Henry the nickname “Chef Cheryl” after she came up with the lunch service idea, and he created a logo based on her image. “We made a persona out of her, which certainly helps,” Mulholland said.

The store’s catering business has come back slowly since the reopening, but it’s picking up, Mulholland added. He’s found that posting on social media has helped. But he doesn’t post only about his store. He regularly highlights other local businesses, too.

“If I can give people four reasons to come to Malvern, then I have a better chance of getting them to come to me, and it ends up benefiting the entire community,” he said.

It’s a mindset that’s defined Mulholland’s approach since long before the fire, and one that will endure as he continues to diligently work to secure the store’s future. 

“I want this store to be here long after I’m gone,” Mulholland said.

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