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Dan and Trisha Cahoy of Bonesteel have been honored as the 2025 South Dakota Retailer of the Year. Presented annually since 1982 by the South Dakota Retailers Association, the award recognizes businesses committed to excellence in their business and community. When a fire in the other Bonesteel grocery store left the community without a grocery store for a year, Dan and Trisha reopened the Cahoy's General Store that his parents had operated from 1986 to 2008. The grocery business in his blood, Dan says, and the entrepreneurial spirit took hold. The couple now owns grocery stores in Bonesteel, Lake Andes, Tyndall and Spencer, Nebraska. Cahoy's Kitchen in Burke features a restaurant, marketplace, coffee shop and bakery. Coffee shops provide a gathering spot in several of their stores, they operate a drive-through in Winner, and the Mighty MoJo mobile coffee truck. The Cahoys now employ 110 people. "There's a need for these small town grocery stores," Dan explained. "The number one thing that motivates me everyday is knowing that we're providing jobs in these small towns, keeping the communities alive." The Cahoys support other entrepreneurs by stocking a variety of locally-sourced foods. Giving back is also important to them. The "Mighty Mission" is a key ingredient in the Mighty MoJo business. "Our Mighty Mission is bringing happiness one cup at a time," Trisha indicated, "but we also donate ten cents per cup of coffee sold to local groups. It's always a good feeling when people receive those surprises." Retailers Association Executive Director Nathan Sanderson says the Cahoys exemplify what is best about the businesses that line Main Street South Dakota. “Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. Dan and Trisha are creating opportunities and providing the high-level service that characterizes businesses in our rural towns.” To learn more about the Cahoys and the Retailers Association’s additional award recipients, visit sdra.org/awards. ### __________________________________________________________________________________ The South Dakota Retailers Association is one of the nation’s oldest and largest state retail organizations, operating as the South Dakota Restaurant, Grocers, and Hospitality associations. We believe in South Dakota businesses, offering information, advocacy, and services to over 4,000 members