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Owners make easy choice
By Mike Bennett
The Paladium-Item - July 2009
Jeff and Cindy Cregar of Richmond thought of the drive-through convenience and the 47-year history when they considered buying the last Miller Milkhouse here.
They thought of moms buying fresh milk and children craning their necks from their car seats to look at the candy in the window.
The Cregars thought of shoppers picking up essentials while staying in their cars during nasty weather -- or getting a good deal when they're rushing to get home.
They think they got a good deal, too, in buying the iconic store at 1700 E. Main St. through a combination of local, state and federal help.
It's been renamed The Milk House.
"I grew up using the Milkhouses," said Cindy Cregar. "Milk, bread, ice cream, it was so easy."
The couple from the west edge of Richmond took ownership in June and started planning changes that would add to a business model they thought already was good.
A new sign was erected a few days ago. They are adding air conditioning and thinking about adding products such as fresh coffee, doughnuts and fountain drinks with a variety of flavorings.
"We will let the customers dictate," Jeff Cregar said.
They considered building a similar store in Liberty, where they own the Liquor Mart, but decided it was financially unfeasible.
The Miller family, which owned Miller Dairy Corp., opened the first of five Miller's Milkhouses in Richmond in 1962. All but the current store have closed in recent years.
The possibility of owning the site came up in March and the Cregars didn't take long to decide.
"I think the model still works. Convenience is part of our lives," Jeff Cregar said. "This doesn't get any more convenient."
As proof, he pointed across East Main Street to a long line of cars in the drive-through for McDonald's.
The Milk House offers products from pop to pet foods, from toilet paper to paper plates and candy bars to cigarettes.
"I see lots of regulars," said Lisa Catt, who has worked there for three years. "I'd never seen a place like this when I moved here. It's very convenient for parents. We always see moms buying things with children asleep in their car seats."
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