Brant’s Market, a Lucas, Kan. shop once called one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Commerce, has closed after 96 years of operation. According to the Wichita Eagle, Stephanie Svaty, the fourth generation of the Brant family to work in the store, posted the announcement about the closure on the store’s Facebook page after making the official announcement at the Lucas Chamber of Commerce meeting last week.

Stephanie Svaty said the decision to close the store came recently, largely because of federal regulations now being enforced. The store was not cited for any violation, Svaty said. A state meat inspector visited the store on Jan. 10 and reported that it needed to keep more documentation and paperwork in the future.

“It is just mainly the paperwork they brought in and told us we needed to start following,” Svaty said. “They gave us a 22-page document, which would be fine if we had 10 to 15 employees, we could understand. It wasn’t feasible hiring an extra person to keep track and check things. We have always had inspections, everything has always been checked and been fine. Maybe if they would have given it to us in chunks, it might not have been so overwhelming.”

Svaty said that many people have stepped up and offered to help, but it did not make sense for the company to add an extra employee just for paperwork.

“If anybody gets involved, it won’t be to save Brant’s but to address a bigger problem with legislation being oppressive to many small businesses,” she said. “Maybe the sadness of Brant’s will lead to some effort to change things so other small businesses may not have to struggle as hard.”

Read more about the company and its decision to close here: http://www.kansas.com/news/state/article195937329.html

Source: Wichita Eagle