In the heart of downtown Louisa lies a small market, with a deep story to tell. Lee’s Mini Market is owned and operated by Kau Lee. The market resembles a New York bodega and offers many products, ranging from clothing to fresh produce. The store opened in the spring of this year and brings urban elements to a rural small town.

“I lived in Manhattan, and always had access to a little market that you can go in and you can do all of your shopping,” Lee said. “You can buy milk, meat, produce, clothing, [and] you could do anything that you want. Everything’s available to you without going into the big, overwhelming stores.”

Lee was not always a small market owner. She began her journey in England before spending her twenties in the fashion industry as a model in Manhattan.  After New York, she moved to Florida and found her next calling in hospitality and human resources management.  This job brought them to move to Keswick, Virginia. 

“We were going to open the business in Charlottesville, but the traffic is really bad there.” Lee said.  “So we decided, you know what, let’s change our direction. We started driving, and we stumbled across Louisa. We’re like, ‘oh, this is a cute little town.’ And there was a sign on this store that said ‘for rent.’ So we were like, ‘Okay, this will be it.”

  Lee is looking to stay in Louisa for as long as possible. One of her goals is to become a hub for all ages, not just as a market, and become a place to catch up with neighbors. Her first addition towards this goal is a chess setup just outside the store. 

“The people have been very nice, very welcoming,” Lee said. “One of the first people that we met here, she was so great, so helpful to us. We were having dinner at Obrigado’s, and we met this lady. She was so warm and inviting to us, [and]just gave us a lot of information about the time the town. Everyone has been that way, so it’s been a really welcoming community.

Lee’s Mini market, with its wide array of products also aims to serve every demographic found in the community. Whether its families, senior citizens, or high school students, the business has products catered for each. This includes but is not limited to baby products, cooking ingredients, and flavored beverages. 

“Do you eat food? [Then] you are a primary customer,” Lee said. “Do you have a mom who likes plants? [Then] you’re a customer. We have so much different variety.” 

Even with the market wide array of products, the new style of business has made it difficult for any small business to operate. Online competition is always a difficult competition that store owners must overcome. 

“Yeah, it’s pretty tough,”  Lee said. “I think that one of the things that benefits us being here is touch, feel, take with you. Whereas Amazon, you don’t really know. You have to wait [online.]

You don’t know how things are going to get to you. Whereas when you go into a brick and mortar, you can actually touch, you can feel, you can smell, you can taste. That’s a benefit with shopping brick and mortar, and it’s more fun to go for a walk if you live in a little cute town, go for a walk on a sunny day. And you know, the whole experience. Shopping is an experience.”

Looking ahead into the future, Lee has thoughts of expanding her business as a whole.