Wellsville Market closes; may be reborn as a burger or pizza place

By Landon Bench

November 8, 2006 | WELLSVILLE -- The Wellsville Market has sold its last banana and shut its doors to the public, and is now property of Ted Ricks.

Mayor Ruth Maughan said the loss of the Wellsville Market, which was directly south of the city office building, "leaves a real void in the city. When the market closed, it was a real loss to the community." She also said now that it isn't there, it is missed by the citizens.

Ricks, owner of Ted's Service, at 3180 S. Highway 89, purchased the market in August through a trustee sale after the market had fallen into bankruptcy. He has already been approached by at least two potential renters. One hopeful renter would like to turn the old market into a "burger joint," Ricks said, that could be set up for burgers as well as a small convenience store with small grocery items, like the market used to have. The building is already equipped with grills for sandwich or burger-making.

Maughan, upon hearing the old market may be replaced by a burger joint and convenience store, said she thought it would be a great idea, and very convenient.

The other hopeful renter, Ricks said, would like to turn the market into a pizza parlor as well as keep the convenience store items there.

Ted's, a gas station and repair shop, is located about five miles from Logan in College Ward. Ricks said that a lot of college students used to call in to the station, in "need of a jump or something," thinking the station was near the USU campus, and Ricks would politely tell them they had about five more miles outside Logan. He still gets college students as customers, and operates from word-of-mouth and other customer referrals.

"Ted's has been here for 40 years, so I must be doing something right." Ricks said. He maintains the station and does the car repairs along with his son.

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