OZARK, Mo. -- After more than two decades of operations, a popular store in Ozark is closing for good.

Heather Hill Farms is known throughout southwest Missouri for its cheese and wine assortment, but after their landlords raised their asking price for rent, the business can no longer afford to stay open.

"It's been it's been a wonderful 22 years. I just want to say thank you," said owner Heather Alder.

For Alder, these last two decades have been some of the best years of her life, but on September 15th, she's closing down shop.

"When you go to work every day, you just do your job and open the store and help people. And you never know how much you mean to people," Alder said. "So it's been it's been wonderful to hear, what we meant and what part we played in people's lives."

Alder says she was forced to close her business after she couldn't meet the asking price for rent.

Lambert's Cafe owns her building. Ozarksfirst reached out to the longtime restaurant but did not hear back.

"Everything has a beginning and everything has an end," said Alder. "And so you have to be always prepared for that in life."

She says if it was up to her, she would've loved to keep her business going.

"The fun of owning a business is it's like a game," Alder said. "You make a move and you see what results that is."

Alder says it's the people who she will miss the most.

"We have people that have been praying for us and praying over us, which has been wonderful. And we have people that have been crying, which is very interesting that we would mean that much. But I guess we do," said Alder. "I guess we fill a place in people's lives and we will really miss that. We'll miss our customers."

On September 27, the business will have an auction to sell the remaining items in her store.

News Source : https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/popular-ozark-business-shutting-down-after-22-years/