The Bueche family has been in the grocery business since 1914, when Bernard Bueche opened a small grocery store on the corner of Main and Maple Streets in Flushing, Michigan. In 1916, he was joined by his brother, Paul, who, in 1919, became a partner in the business upon his return from the Service. Eventually, Paul became the sole owner, and operated the Store until 1955, when his two sons, Maynard and Phillip, bought and took over the business. Due to continued growth, the Store was moved and rebuilt in 1959, at a new location just to the west, across the Flint River bridge. The store went through several expansions and remodels to maintain its emphasis on customer satisfaction and providing high quality products. Five years later, in 1992, a second store, Bueche’s Food World II, was opened in Ortonville, Michigan. The store was the first modern supermarket to locate in the community, and it quickly built a strong customer base. Phillip Bueche passed away suddenly in July of 1998, leaving the operation of the businesses to his sons, Denny and Chris Bueche. After accepting the responsibility to move into the Third Bueche Generation, the first update was a 2001 addition and remodel of the Ortonville store. The grocery store was increased by 10,000 square feet, and the store went through a major remodel to keep pace with competition and with the business demand. In 2004, the Ortonville Plaza was added onto, and several tenants were added to the center to continue the momentum. In 2005, the Flushing store again moved a short distance to the west. An adjacent property was purchased, and a state-of-the-art Supermarket was built, nearly doubling the size of the 45-year-old building. The vacated Grocery Store building was remodeled to accommodate several new tenants chosen to attract shoppers to the plaza and keep the newly formed center a vibrant retail shopping space. Each store continued to grow and adapt to the ever-changing grocery business while remaining focused on clean, well-stocked stores and exceptional customer service. In 2022, Chris Bueche was diagnosed with myelodysplasia. He fought the disease with all that he had, but sadly passed away on January 1, 2023. The beginning of 2023 brought great sadness; but it also brought great excitement for our future! Denny and Chris both expressed their desire and planned for Bueche’s to enter a NEW generation for the Bueche family. The plans had been underway for some time, and in April 2023, Jennifer Wilkins and Matthew Crumm (niece and nephew to Denny and Chris) proudly announced they will carry out the Bueche grocery tradition and purchase the stores – beginning our FOURTH Generation! With this plan, Denny has made the decision to transition into retirement after 35 plus years in the grocery business. He plans to remain on hand to help throughout the exciting transition. Bueche’s Food World wishes to thank our valued customers for their support over the many years. Bueche’s has a longstanding partnership with the Flushing and Ortonville communities. We look forward to continuing our tradition of excellence and providing an outstanding shopping experience for years to come.
