13 Mennonite Shops in Missouri

Hoover’s Bulk Food Store, which Owen Hoover and his wife, Carolyn, have owned for 17 years, sells freshly baked bread, jellies, spices, locally grown produce, baked goods, and more.

Depending on the day, Owen’s daughter Colleen can be found baking pies or loaves of bread or making other sweet treats, including pans filled with Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls.

Stamper’s Delight
17702 Brookside Road, Barnett, MO 65011

Edna Zimmerman owns Stamper’s Delight in Barnett. Although not many Mennonite women operate their own businesses, Edna, a member of the Groffdale conference, says the community doesn’t mind that she owns Stamper’s Delight, a scrapbook supply store. She bought it three years ago and works out of a building on the property where her family lives. She says, “I’m married, and it is important to have the business close by so I can keep up with my household duties.” The 45-year-old mother of seven children, aged five to 20, says, “I was a stamper for 20 years before.”

Excelsior Fabrics
39990 Excelsior Road, Versailles, MO 65084

At Excelsior Fabrics the walls are lined with a rainbow of patterned bolts of fabric—there are hundreds of colors and designs to choose from. Batting is sold by the yard on three-foot-wide rolls and is sorted by loft (thickness). The shop also sells women’s and girls’ sunbonnets, hand-knitted winter hats, head coverings, and men’s straw hats in their natural shade—a golden yellow—or in black.

World of Wheels
20118 Highway C, Barnett, MO 65011

As opposed to the Amish, who do not condone bicycles as a type of transportation, many Mennonites—both adults and children—travel by riding bicycles. After completing eighth grade, World of Wheels owner Josiah Hoover started working at the store full time and decided to buy the business at the age of 20 in 2020. “I’m the only full-time bicycle shop in the area,” he says. “Customers come from as far as Jefferson City and Columbia.” The shop has been operated by his family since 1974. Half of Josiah’s business is from Mennonites, and the rest is from non-Mennonites who are interested in bicycle recreation.

Gathering Grounds Coffee Co.
13501 MO 52, Versailles, MO 65084

Gathering Grounds Owner Brian Martin sees the positive impact of the traditional Mennonite work ethic on his business. “We were raised to give our best in everything we do,” he says. But his mission for Gathering Grounds goes beyond that. His vision was born from his love for God and his desire to share this with the community. His business model for the coffee shop has always been “to create an experience where guests can feel the love of Jesus, where we can give exceptional customer service, and people can leave revived and inspired through coffee and relationships.”

L & R Clocks and Repair
16225 Buttercup Road, Barnett, MO 65011

L & R Clocks and Repair, a clock servicing shop owned by Lee Roy Zimmerman, a third-generation clock repairman. Lee Roy works eight-hour days, six days a week, repairing clocks and is booked four months ahead.

As customers enter, the sounds of bonging, cuckoos, and ticking timepieces add to the ambience of the shop’s showroom. Lee Roy offers an assortment of new and antique clocks, including kitchen clocks that are more than 100 years old, cuckoo clocks, grandfather clocks, and mantel clocks. Two calendar clocks show the date in addition to time. One of the calendar clocks is a perpetual clock that automatically moves forward to tell the date and knows which months have 31 days and even when leap year occurs. “That’s a neat old clock,” Lee Roy says.

Creative Resources
16971 Highway C, Barnett, MO 65011

Anna Lois Weaver started Creative Resources in the basement of her home in 2013. A flashing sign in her front yard advertises her African violets, dried flower arrangements, arts and crafts books, storybooks, wall art, and supplies. She accepts credit cards, which is not always the case with Mennonite-operated businesses.

KenMar Cafe
18734 Highway K, Versailles, MO 65084

A notable gathering spot for locals and people on their way to nearby Lake of the Ozarks is the KenMar Cafe. Wendell Schmidt, a regular there, comes in one to three times a week. “It’s like family,” he says. “I can catch up on local news, and the food is good.” The cafe is located in a 700-square-foot two-bedroom ranch-style home.

Margaret Nolt, co-owner and member of the Weaverland conference, explains the name KenMar, “It’s a combination of my husband’s name, Kenny, and my name.” She prepares breakfast and lunch four days a week—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday—using farm-fresh food. “We make everything here except the ice cream,” she says.