Since 1981, Welch’s Stop N Shop in Oakdale, Louisiana, has been dispensing fuel, food and love to its customers. “My mother-in-law, Elsie Welch, started the store and my husband, Andy, grew up in the store,” said Melissa Welch, who owns the store with Andy. “Local folks still fondly call the store Miss Elsie’s because she was so loved by the community.”

Andy worked in the store as a teenager, stocking and mopping floors, and Melissa occasionally did the payroll and other tasks after they married. That sense of family ownership prompted the couple to purchase the store from Andy’s mother in 2000 when she retired.

While the Welches kept much of what made Stop N Shop popular with locals, they also put their own stamp on the store. “With Andy’s background in trucking, we were able to expand the offerings and change some things to make the store more modern and accommodating,” Melissa said.

The Welches continued Elsie’s tradition of investing in the local community.

“We do a lot for the community because we love our community,” Melissa said. For example, the store recognizes “elementary school students of the month,” and gives them a coupon for a “hunk” (a fourth) of a pizza to celebrate their special moment. The Stop N Shop logo adorns banners and t-shirts around town, supporting schools, sports teams and local events.

Melissa stocks inexpensive and trendy candy and toys, like slime lickers, to give to kids who come in with a good report card or other scholastic success. During the holidays, Santa will drop by on the Coca-Cola truck with prizes for the kids, and around Easter time, the store’s “little bunnies” can hop to the counter for a prize.

Continue reading about Welch’s Stop N Shop in Little Store, Big Heart in the February 2025 issue of NACS Magazine.