Local Business Spotlight: Johnson’s Foods

From customer appreciation cookouts and shopping-spree giveaways to monthly donations to the local food shelf, owners Jacob Muus and Crystal Clemons have made community involvement central to running Johnson’s Foods.

For Muus and Clemons, giving back is a way to support the community they call home. Since taking over Johnson’s Foods four years ago, the pair have continued to build on the grocery store’s role in Grand Marais, finding ways to connect with customers and help meet local needs.

“I think it’s just important for us to support where we live,” Muus said. “Especially when we have a lot of young families here, and we all know how expensive it is to live here.”

Amid disruptions and changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the owners began donating approximately $500 to $600 each month in household necessities to the Grand Marais food shelf. The donations include items such as shampoo, conditioner, and toilet paper, which food assistance benefits don’t cover.

The idea came as the owners looked for ways to address needs they saw in the community.

Muus and Clemons also support local fundraisers, high school sports, and nonprofit organizations. At the store, customer appreciation events also give them another chance to connect with shoppers.

“I wanted people to feel like we care and we want them to be able to come in and shop and not have to worry and just appreciate everybody,” Clemons said.

That commitment was recently recognized when the grocery store owners received the Community Business Leader of the Year award in September at the Cook County Chamber of Commerce’s fall gala.

“It was just a great moment for us, you know, some validation that the community thinks that what we’re doing is working out pretty well,” Muus said.

Johnson’s Foods owners Crystal Clemons and Jacob Muus | Photo contributed by Laura Muus

But behind the community events and customer appreciation efforts is the day-to-day work of keeping a grocery store running in a small, remote town. For Muus and Clemons, that includes navigating supply chain disruptions and tariffs, keeping shelves stocked and managing the cost of transporting goods to the North Shore.

Muus said supply chain challenges and other factors are not new to the grocery business. “There’s always stuff going on,” he said. Shortly before taking ownership and while working as longtime employees, Muus and Clemons faced pandemic-related challenges, including disruptions at meat processing plants that contributed to shortages and price increases for some products.

More recently, transportation and fuel prices are adding another challenge.

Johnson’s Foods receives truck deliveries from St. Cloud twice a week, and Muus said rising diesel prices have increased the cost of getting products to the store. For now, rather than raise prices in the store, the owners have absorbed those additional costs instead of passing them directly on to customers.

Johnson’s Foods | Photo by Kalli Hawkins

Johnson’s Foods has also maintained a selection of longtime favorites in its meat department, including homemade sausages in varieties such as wild rice and maple blueberry, along with Swedish meatballs, rullepolse and sylta.

At the same time, Muus and Clemons look for opportunities to introduce new products and expand the store’s offerings.

Beyond groceries, the owners have expanded the store’s selection, adding more over-the-counter pharmacy items, makeup, toys, and Pokémon cards. Clemons, who worked at the store for more than a decade before becoming an owner, said bringing in new products is one of her favorite parts of the job.

Looking ahead, Muus and Clemons hope to continue expanding the store’s product selection while refining day-to-day operations.

“We are really proud of what we’ve got going on right now, and so we hope that can continue,” Muus said.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Johnson’s Foods owners Crystal Clemons and Jacob Muus for the latest edition of the Local Business Spotlight. Audio below.

The Local Business Spotlight highlights our local business community’s economic strength and innovation. This feature is produced by WTIP Community Radio and brought to you in partnership with Visit Cook County and the Cook County Chamber of Commerce.

Kalli Hawkins October 12, 2026