A Downtown Staple

By Main Street Square

A person’s journey can lead them down many roads. Sometimes those roads intersect and lead you to where we are supposed to go. This is especially true in the case of Tammy Yanders, owner of Staple & Spice Market in downtown Rapid City.

Tammy was working as a full-time nurse and navigating her own health journey as a customer of Staple & Spice Market when a conversation with longtime owner Carol Pugh opened the door for a career change. “Carol mentioned to me that she thought I would be great at thisas she was looking to relocate. I thought, all the things I’ve done in my life have been a vessel to this point. So I took this opportunity to be a platform to showcase my passion and life’s work. Wayne (her husband) and I decided to purchase the store and start this new journey,” stated Tammy.

When Tammy and Wayne Yanders purchased Staple and Spice Market in early 2020 from longtime owner Carol Pugh, they knew they had a longstanding tradition to uphold while searching for ways to bring the local market into the 21st century. “With the help of Carol, it was an easy transition into the new ownership,” stated Yanders. Three months into ownership the Yanders, like the rest of the world, were trying to figure out how to change their business model to remain relevant during a pandemic. “As new owners we had to adjust. As people spent more time at home, personal health care became a hugepriority for many, and we saw people buying vitamins and supplements as well as stocking up their pantry’s — unsure what was coming. Like most businesses, we started offering back door pickup for orders and it worked,” added Yanders.

Although Staple & Spice Market has been a fixture in downtown Rapid City for nearly a 100 years, the Yanders are trying to introduce their offerings and local producers to the community. “One of the first things we wanted to do was give the space a facelift, this included the sign on the building. We also created an event space as we wanted to make sure we had a platform for our customers to tell their stories, while bringing in local health care professionals to help educate customers on how to best navigate their own health journeys. Education is key,” stated Yanders. “My passion is helping people achieve their goals, that is why I became a certified health coach. While working in nursing, I realized I enjoyed focusing on preventative care. Everyone is bio-individual and the store can offer something for everyone on their own health journey.”

Staple & Spice Market has been a staple in Rapid City thanks to their great service. “We are a familyowned business and strive to give the best service to our customers. We have people that have moved away and come back with their families and talk about the aroma of the store. They remember the smell of herbs, spices and oils. We were lucky to have an opportunity to be a part of an established icon in downtown Rapid City. We are from Rapid City and have been a part of the community and are now invested in the legacy as well,” Tammy proudly states.