Clayton Ranch Market

05/01/2026

We have got over a half inch at the store! To celebrate the rain, and to help convince you a Ranch Market run is a good idea, fountain sodas and hot coffee are half priced today and tomorrow!

04/08/2026

Back in the day, coin-operated rides were all the rage at the local grocery store, but they've since disappeared completely. Here's why.

04/03/2026

Happy Easter!🐣✝️

03/05/2026

Pennies & Ponies

Last year, I started receiving complaints from some of our most important customers: kids. They told me that the mechanical ponies in front of the store weren’t working. After some investigation, we realized the coin box mechanism was the problem. Those ponies are at least 2,800 years old, so I knew it would be a struggle to find replacements.

Luckily, I located a carousel company in Florida that also restores "kiddie rides" which I was told is the industry's preferred term. They happened to have brand-new, beautiful coin boxes that looked original. Unfortunately, they could only be programmed to take dimes or quarters. That was a huge problem because Ranch Market is the "Home of the One Cent Pony Ride©️" (note: not actually copyrighted). I asked if they could be customized to accept pennies and was told they would "get back to me," which is code for NO in the cutthroat carousel industry.

While I was weighing my options, the federal government made the choice for me on several fronts. With the decision to discontinue minting the penny, it became difficult sometimes to get the volume of pennies we need. In response, Ranch Market adopted the most common rounding policy.

So far, we love it, and so do most* of our customers. We only round if you use cash, and only on the change given. Sometimes it's rounded up a cent or two, and sometimes it’s rounded down. Usually, after hundreds of transactions, the daily report shows a total difference of no more than +/- 20 cents

Our cashiers and customers don’t have to handle as many dirty pennies, we don’t have to refill our safe with them every week, it’s easier on our equipment, and it saves the taxpayer money. Win-win! But if you ever want your exact change, we do keep spare pennies around and can accommodate the request, just let us know.

Now, back to the ponies. Since the penny would be eventually harder to find than a dime, I decided to go with the new 10 cent coin box. The company suggested I still set the price to $1.00 per ride, but the ponies were never about making money. They were always meant to inconvenience the parents… just kidding! It’s for the kids.

So, I am trying to get used to the new Ranch Market slogan: “Home of the 10¢ Pony Ride©️.” I don’t think it’s quite as catchy, but maybe it will grow on me. L&K got the new boxes wired up this week and they are working better than ever. Take your kids for a ride on them if it’s been a while, especially since the weather has been so nice. We will always have extra complimentary dimes at the check stands if you need one.

I used to think they needed a new coat of paint, maybe even a new leather harness, but since the price is changing, I think we should keep what we can the same. That patina was earned!

02/22/2026

🥅 🏒 🇺🇸 🥇 USA! USA! USA! 😊

01/30/2026

12/31/2025

We are open regular hours (6:00am - 8:00pm) on New Year’s Eve and New Years Day! 🎉🍾🥳🎈

12/24/2025

A ticket to the CUCEDP’s NYE Bash makes an awesome last minute gift. They are available at Ranch Market and we are open until 6:00 today (Christmas Eve).

11/21/2025

Here are some rain totals from yesterday (Nov 20th) based on data from a little weather station located on our store's roof. This information can be accessed by anyone using the Weather Link Live App or weatherlink.com. It’s free to use, but you do have to create an account. Data within the app is updated in real-time, so it’s nice to have some really local weather info sometimes. Find our station by searching the name Clayton Ranch Market.