Lesson 2: Award Winning Food

Kenadee’s Klassroom

Article No. 3 | Lesson 2: Award Winning Food

May 23, 2024

In today’s lesson, we interrupt a mac ‘n cheese-making production to learn from Bryan and Kari Luke, owners of Luke’s One Stop. The Lukes celebrated their 41st anniversary of owning and operating Cissna Park’s beloved gas station and convenience store on May 16th. However, One Stop is much more than a convenience store. A large part of Bryan and Kari’s story is their World Food Championship title in 2016. Though notable, the real lesson is found in the character it takes to own and operate a small business and fill the needs of hundreds of people every day.

One common thread I have found in the owners of small businesses that have been around longer than my whole life is that their experience far outshines any college education. Bryan’s uncle owned grocery stores, yet it wasn’t until his uncle sold the grocery store in Milford to Dale Tuttle that he worked there. Through high school, he worked in the produce and meat department. In college, Bryan was able to experience a more extended form of the operation. He was a part of adding a bakery and deli to the grocery store. The now Luke’s one-stop was once a restaurant. Then, under the ownership of Jim Frank, it was a convenience store. Bryan bought the building from Frank in the early 1980s. With Tuttle's help, he got it started in May of 1983. Bryan received his bachelor’s degree in finance and administration from ISU. Though today, he has no use for it. It was his character that allowed him to be a successful business owner.

Before the Lukes bought the convenience store, it was small. The deli had only bologna, American cheese, and boiled ham. Compared to today, there is a variety of meats and cheeses. From there, one-stop has grown exponentially. The Lukes added gas within a year, and the building was added onto three times. They bought a fountain pop machine and a larger coffee pot. The Lukes started making pizza to justify needing a second employee as they got busier. They also provide homemade lunches, including pulled pork, nachos, and hamburgers. They offer catering services as well, which began about twenty years ago. A new product in their store is fresh and frozen meat from DuChick Ranch, Perfume Acres Country Market, and Breymeyer Land and Livestock. Although Luke’s won’t be able to replace a grocery store, they seek to fill some needs where they can.

Their talents in making food have grown as well. In 2016, Kari’s steak won the division at the World Food Championship. Reflecting on it, Kari states, “It still feels like a blur...it’s amazing people still talk about it.” Her decision to compete came from when the Lukes did barbeque competitions for Mike Mills in Murphysboro, Illinois. Kari would make an apple pie on a Weber grill every year. She decided to make a strawberry pie one year, and Mills entered her into the World Food Championship (WFC). In 2015, she competed in the desert division and won 4th place in the pie competition. Kari competed with her steak the following year in Lincoln, IL, where she qualified for WFC again. She competed four times, received 1st place each time, and became the first female winner in three divisions at WFC. Though the Lukes are done competing now, their love of food and gratefulness for the experience has not changed.

Luke’s One Stop has become a staple for Cissna Park. The mac ‘n cheese continued to be made once I left as it was packaged and prepared to feed many people. I reminisced about my time in Luke’s One Stop between school and basketball games, getting a sandwich or pizza with my friends for lunch. Although we do not know how many more years are left in them to keep the store going, we are beyond grateful for the services they provide for blue-collar workers, high school students, and anyone traveling on Route 49.

Written by Kenadee Edleman