Meet our January Profile in Commerce: Franklin General Store
Owned by Brooke Franklin, Franklin General Store is located in Downtown Shawnee at 11405 Johnson Dr, Shawnee, KS 66203. Before she started her business, she worked with local farmers on sustainability as well as getting local food into school cafeterias. She understands how hard it is for small businesses to get their products in stores, and wanted to be the store that could provide a place for customers to truly support locally made products, as well as know what they are getting is made with good, clean ingredients.
Tell us about your business.
At Franklin General Store, we sell only locally grown and produced products, and everything has clean ingredients, free from chemicals and other unnatural ingredients. I have a long list of ingredients we do not allow in the store, so each item is vetted to make sure it meets this requirement. We have food and non-food items. The store opened inJune 2025, and we continue to add new items and vendors. We currently have over 70 local vendors in store.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of running your business in Shawnee?
Are there any highlights or milestones that stand out?
The most rewarding part of my business is how many customers thank me for opening this store so they can have a place to go if they cannot make it to the farmers market, but also being able to find things here that they cannot get at the farmers market all in one place so they don't have to drive to many different locations to get their local goods. I have a regular customer who started coming from the time we opened, and she does all her shopping here, like many of my regulars. However, one thing that stands out was this customer told me that she was excited that she has been able to get all her shopping done here and only needs to go to the large chain grocery store for one of two things periodically that isn't made locally.
How do you see the future of your business within Shawnee, and are there any local trends or changes that excite you?
I see my business growing as more people find out about the store and realize how much of an impact supporting locally made products means, as well as eating food that has clean ingredients. I like that Shawnee is becoming a destination and hope to see more retail spaces come to downtown Shawnee to build the daytime foot traffic.
How has being part of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce influenced or supported your business?
I joined the Chamber upon opening and love the support they gave when starting a small business. The ribbon cutting is a great perk that brings awareness. I also love the once-a-month meetings to meet other businesses. It helps get to know others so you can feel a sense of community.
If you could share one piece of advice with a new Chamber member or a new business in Shawnee, what would it be?
Being a small business, you are very busy, especially in a retail environment, where I have minimal employees and have to be at the store, so any meetings you can attend to meet others is a great way to get started, even if it's once a month for an hour.
Learn more about Franklin General Store by visiting https://www.facebook.com/franklingeneralstore/
