Our Story

Home/Our Story
Yoder's Hometown Market family

About Us -

I’m Mark Yoder, owner of Yoder’s Hometown Market -- but I didn’t always know I would one day own and operate a hometown market. My wife Betty and I lived in Southeast Asia from 2007 to 2009 with our five children, and after returning to the States, work was difficult to find. Our youngest daughter, Hattie, worked at a bulk food store and asked me why we didn’t have one of our own. With her prompting, some research, and encouragement from a friend to consider a location in Dover, Ohio, we made the decision to move forward with the idea. We leased our present location at 1020 North Tuscarawas Ave. from Denny’s and the doors were opened for business in May of 2010.

We knew that many of our Tuscarawas Valley neighbors enjoyed driving to Amish Country to find tasty and high-quality food. Our goal was simple: provide the goodness of Amish Country directly to the local community without the drive! We defined three firm philosophies for our business: provide excellent customer service, serve quality products, and offer fair prices — thus, our slogan: “The goodness of Amish Country in Your Hometown,” was born.

My father always taught me that “hard work never hurt anybody,” and we applied that principle to the business. With helpful advice from fellow local business owners and the incredible support of our community, our little market has thrived, despite our previous limited experience in the retail food industry. Our customers are friendly, courteous, and industrious, and we believe they deserve the best quality products at fair prices with excellent service. We champion the thought that the customer is always the most important person in the store.

I am a firm believer that less than five percent of what we know and do is based upon what we’re born with, so reading, listening, asking questions, and learning from others is invaluable in life. One of the key principles of growth is listening to the customer you serve and always looking for better ways to provide quality service. Another key to being successful in our business is providing a positive working environment for our employees, who deserve to see our appreciation and receive credit for our success!

Yoder's Hometown Market's grandchildren

Today, my wife Betty and our son Hans help me run the market -- though at one time or another, all five of our kids have helped in the store. We hope that you have a wonderful experience in our market and will share your experience with friends, family, and neighbors. Tell them to stop by and experience the goodness of Amish country in their own hometown!

Yoder's Market canned goods

5 Questions with the Owner of Yoder's Hometown Market

How would you describe a typical day at Yoder's Hometown Market?

A typical day at Yoder's Hometown Market begins earlier than you may imagine. Most mornings I leave my house by 6am and some days I do not arrive home until 7pm. The first hour is very important, and a late start can be a negative influence for the rest of the day if you allow it to be. Some of the things we value are: Do your best, maintain a good attitude...

Read more »