Forty years ago, a local business described Luke’s One Stop, Cissna Park, Illinois, as “not a supermarket, but a ‘super little market’.”
Today, those words are more prophetic that ever, as the single convenience store located north of Champaign, Illinois, is filling a crucial void in the local marketplace. “The lone grocery store in town closed in late 2023, so we’re stepping up to create more space for grocery-type items,” said Kari Luke, who co-owns Luke’s along with her husband, Bryan.
The store is now selling packaged meats to complement the legendary foodservice fare they’ve long served. To do so, the Lukes forged an arrangement with three local ranchers to get weekly deliveries of beef, pork and chicken for customers who otherwise would have to drive 15 miles to the nearest supermarket, Kari Luke said.
No doubt, Luke’s One Stop—already a formidable convenience option for both locals and travelers—is now armed with one more pillar to burnish its competitive advantage in the Cisna Park community of 800 residents. In short, the retailer represents the only stop that most folks need to fulfill their grocery and convenience needs.
The store’s foodservice specialties include pork, chicken, brisket and ribs. The commercial kitchen, built in 2022 and located next to the store, churns out 120 racks of ribs or more at a time. For years, the independent retailer entered smoked barbecue contests in the Midwest and South—and often won (on their first attempt, the Lukes took home first place).
The BP-branded retailer also sells fuel, with the closest gas station located about seven miles away.
Luke's One Stop owners Kari and Bryan Luke. | Photo courtesy: Luke's One Stop.
Cooking Up a Storm
Kari and Bryan Luke retired several years ago from BBQ competitions to concentrate on operating the store. Foodservice is offered in the store, as well as through its robust catering business.
In the store, Kari Luke and staff write daily menu items on a chalkboard, adding a homey touch. That’s where customers see daily specials such as “Monday Pork sandwiches,” as well as brisket, rib tips, burnt ends, homemade beef noodle soup, goulash, lasagna, potato salad, homemade pasta and broccoli salad.
“When they see it’s homemade, it makes customers happy, and brings them back,” she said.
And the catering business is booming, Bryan Luke said. “We have to learn to say ‘no’ because we get inundated with orders,” he added.
Catering has grown solely through word of mouth. Luke’s One Stop fulfills orders for lunch meetings of as few as 10 people and weddings of more than 400. One new attraction offered for both catered and on-premise food is a “Porky Mac” with four ounces of mac-and-cheese and three ounces of pork, drizzled in homemade barbecue sauce.
The adjacent catering kitchen, formerly a laundry area, debuted in 2022 and is equipped with a hickory smoker and a double-wide oven. “When cooking in the store we had always stepped on each other’s toes, as it’s only designed to accommodate two workers. We needed additional space—particularly on weekends,” he said.
The Lukes don’t live on foodservice alone. Other competitive advantages include:
Confection injection. With elaborate displays done in partnership with Hershey’s, Luke’s has always thrived with both chocolate and non-chocolate fare.
And, even though chocolate and sugar prices have doubled over the last year, the program has not lost weekly volume, said Bryan Luke. “I mean, three bucks for a large candy bar? It’s not price-friendly but even with the price increase, our candy business has not slowed down. We order between eight to 10 pegged candy cases each week. It’s really strong.”
Fueling growth. After 20 years with Phillips 66, Luke’s converted to BP more than two decades ago. “We didn’t offer fuel at the outset, but eventually saw the light and acquired the equipment,” said Bryan Luke.
Diesel fuel has been a solid growth engine. “We endured periods where diesel volume had fallen but then, inexplicably, it rebounded,” he said. “All through the ebbs and flows, our diesel price remained consistent—and it’s all kinds of passenger cars buying diesel, from locals to travelers.”
Luke’s One Stop was the first retailer in the immediate area to offer self-serve fuel, first to offer pay-at-the-pump and first to accept credit cards, the Lukes said. Its current Gilbarco dispensers are set up to accept tap-to-pay.
Loyal, sustained employee base. All employees are part-timers who log less-than-eight-hour shifts per day. Four have been at Luke’s anywhere from five to 25 years. There is no designated store manager. Speaking of employees sharing duties but also having vertical specialties, Kari Luke said: “One staff member takes care of freezers, another bakes homemade pies and one orders specialty items—and everyone fills in where they need to.”
But, after 40 years in the business, are the Lukes looking to live the relaxed retirement life? Bryan Luke said not yet: “We are starting to look into it, but the first thing we have to make certain of is selling the store to the right party—someone who will run it like we run it. That’s no guarantee.”
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