Sweethaven

w: www.sweethavenshreve.com

a: 405 W South St | Shreve, OH

Buying groceries isn’t always a pleasant experience. Too often stores are crowded, chaotic, and stressful. Step into Sweethaven in Shreve and be greeted with friendly faces willing to help you enjoy a shopping trip the old fashioned way. Before it was Sweethaven, the small grocery store on W South St in Shreve was Scheck’s IGA. Richard Scheck had been running the IGA for over 60 years, providing a local grocery option for the families of the Shreve community, one of which is the Visockys.

When the Visocky Family moved to the area in 1999, they fell in love with Shreve. They started making connections through their church and building relationships across the community. They cherished the small town feel and knew it was a safe place to raise their children.

Many have been eager to join the Sweethaven team and help create a welcome shopping experience.

As luck would have it, their son Carlos spent some time working for Mr. Scheck at the IGA before leaving the store to pursue other ventures. Chuck was keeping busy running a large corporation, but always had a passion for the small town he calls home.

In 2015, Mr. Scheck starting thinking about retiring, but didn’t have any plans for the store’s future. News travels fast in a small town and Mr. Scheck’s pending retirement planted a seed in Chuck’s mind. Some conversations were had, but nothing was set in stone. Fast forward to 2018, and Chuck decided it was time to leave the corporate grind.

Since the Visocky’s took over, the store is in the process of being completely remodeled both inside and out.

He and his wife, Pat, had a vision for a local coffee shop and concentrated their efforts to get HeBrews Coffee up and running. The Visockys quickly learned the ins and outs of the industry and made invaluable connections with local, regional, and even national distributors. As HeBrews came into its own, Chuck couldn’t help but think back to the conversations with Mr. Scheck about taking over the store. “I didn’t know it then, but so much of the work we put into HeBrews was preparing us for Sweethaven. The more we learned, the more I realized how much this community needs a local grocery, and how we could make it a different experience than other bigger stores. We had to ask the question, how does a small town independent grocery store make it? And it turns out the answer is simple: serving our community to earn their support.”

When Chuck and Richard sat down to discuss moving forward, the two were thinking about who should run the store. When Mr. Scheck suggested Carlos, Chuck knew he would be the perfect fit. He spoke to Carlos and his wife, Dana, and the rest was history. Carlos explains, “When my wife and I moved back to Shreve, we didn’t know what the future held for us. I worked at the IGA years ago, but I knew I still had a lot to learn. Working with my dad to build something bigger than ourselves has been amazing. I love building relationships with our customers and getting to know them on a personal level. This is what I’m meant to do, and it’s an honor being the friendly neighborhood grocer.”

Carlos and Chuck have spent countless hours of blood, sweat, and tears to bring their vision for Sweethaven to reality.

The transformation from the IGA to Sweethaven didn’t happen overnight. Once Chuck, Carlos, and a group of investors came together to get plans in motion, they couldn’t be stopped. Not only are the interior and exterior being completely remodeled, but the product lines and offerings are constantly being rotated to bring a better variety to Sweethaven’s shoppers.

It’s been a true labor of love for Carlos, “It’s not just about putting products on the shelves. We do everything with our customers in mind. We want shoppers to have a true experience here, to feel heard and seen. When you need help finding something, or if you have a question, you don’t even need to ask, we are here to serve our customers and our community. We don’t strive to meet expectations, we want to exceed them. Life in a small town is different and we embrace it.”

“I’ve been impressed by the transformation Chuck and Carlos have brought to the store. With all the changes, they’ve been continuing my father’s legacy in a way that I know would make him proud.”

- Margaret Coblentz
Mr. Scheck's Daughter

In addition to continually expanding their offerings, the entire team at Sweethaven seeks to improve everything they do. In recognition of how far they’ve come, they’ll be holding a grand re-opening celebration. Find the date, details, and more on their Facebook page. In the meantime, stop in and see your friendly neighborhood grocer at 405 W South St in Shreve.