Winona Lake’s Canal Street Market – “A Foodie’s Paradise”

I had the pleasure of meeting Billy and Maria Hutchinson last year. I found out they owned The Olive Branch and the brand new Canal Street Market at the Village at Winona. After getting to know both of them better, I could tell there was a passion for the small business community – not just their own but others as well. I knew Canal Street Market and its “Foodie’s Paradise” was a perfect fit for the blog and I feel privileged to tell their story.

All responses provided by Billy Hutchinson.

What were you doing before you opened and what made you decide to open Canal Street Market?
“As you know, Maria and I own The Olive Branch as well, so I was overseeing the operations there and Maria was teaching 6th grade at Lincoln Elementary. It’s always been a dream of ours to own a small business and in 2019 that dream became reality when we purchased The Olive Branch. I really enjoy cooking and trying unique foods, and I’m all about experimenting and trying new things in the culinary world. Every time we travel somewhere, I’m always on the lookout for new, unique food items for our store that we can share with our customers. Unfortunately, with the large variety of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar we carry at The Olive Branch, space is obviously very limited. In 2021 we were offered the opportunity to purchase another store in The Village at Winona, 2 stores down from The Olive Branch. This was our opportunity to expand on our love for unique, hard-to-find food items.

In September 2021 we opened Canal Street Market “A Foodie’s Paradise”. After many hours of research, sampling, and talking with other foodies, we started lining our shelves in the new store with hard-to-find, unique food items from all over the United States. We currently represent 42 states with specialty food items from small family-owned businesses. Getting to know these small suppliers has been amazing. Every one of them have a story of how they got started and the struggles they face competing with large stores. I never hesitate to share my supplier’s stories with our customers because when our customers purchase products from our small business, they’re also supporting a small supplier somewhere in the United States, and I like for them to know that.”

What kind of items can you find for sale at Canal Street Market? Anything original or out of the ordinary that you wouldn’t typically find at a local market?
“With all the unique products we carry in our store, none makes me prouder than our Dovie & Otto’s line of products. Dovie was my grandma and Otto my grandpa, and both were such a huge part of my life. So many of my childhood memories revolve around my grandparent’s way of living, their beliefs, and their appreciation for good southern food. I spent many hours with my grandparent’s learning about life. I learned of their struggles of raising 7 kids when jobs were hard to find and money was very tight. I worked the gardens with them and the rest of my family. We canned everything we possibly could to have enough food for the winter. Paying tribute to them by putting a picture of them on the jars of products I grew up eating means the world to me. And, you won’t find these products with my grandparent’s picture on the jar in any other store in the world.

Some of the specialty food items you will find at Canal Street Market include a large line of homemade bbq sauces, jams, jellies, dipping sauces, grilling sauces, and salsa’s. We carry dessert items, toffee, hot chocolate, flavored peanuts, a great line of pecan products from New Mexico, fresh Amish milk, fresh Amish cheese, flavored popcorns, and much, much more. We carry several products from small suppliers here in Indiana like our Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Bremen, Indiana, Choco Gravel Nut Butter from Goshen, Indiana, Soups from Soup of Success in Elkhart, Indiana, Amazing Hazel products (Bloody Mary Mix, Seasonings, Sloppy Joe Sauce, etc.) from Indianapolis, Indiana, and our newest line of amazing bbq sauces from the South Bend, Indiana area called Sweet Revenge, which was created by a Vietnam Veteran with his recipe that dates back to the Civil War. Although it’s not local, another of my favorite products is Poulich Pit bbq sauce from New Stanton, Pennsylvania just outside of Pittsburgh, which is endorsed by one of my favorite baseball players of all time, Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates.”

What is it about Canal Street Market that should make locals and visitors want to check it out? How important is it to support locally-owned businesses?
“It’s sad to see so many small businesses closing their doors. I watched my little town in Oklahoma go from a “Mayberry” kind of town to pretty much a ghost town. Big businesses are a necessity, I get it. But this country was built on small businesses, and I want to do everything I can to help bring back small, “mom and pop” shops. That’s what makes The Village at Winona such a fun destination for small specialty shopping. Canal Street Market represents so many small family-owned values. It’s a laid back small shop that is welcoming to all ages, pets, and the foodies. We tell our customers to check back often, because you will most likely find new products from a small family, in a small town, somewhere in the United States.

Supporting any local business whether large or small is important for a community to survive. Large stores are convenient, and carry much more product than our small shops. I believe it is so important to not forget the small businesses. These small family-owned shops are the ones that never hesitate to support local charities, schools, etc. These are the shops that advertise locally in every way possible to get people in their doors. And unlike most stores, you can sample products in Canal Street Market before you buy. Competing with large stores is tough, and many will not survive. Please consider visiting small shops in our community. If nothing else, you might make a new friend and hear some great stories.

“We don’t want to be anywhere else.”

Maria and I have made Winona Lake our home for 14 years now. We don’t want to be anywhere else. This community is great and full of wonderful people we call friends. We will continue to try and bring quality, unique items to both our small shops for all to enjoy. Thanks to all for helping our dream of small business owners come true.”

Thinking about visiting Kosciusko County? Consider your own island or one of our lakefront resorts!