Phillips Grocery Store Is a Hiseville Hub
Story by Jamie Biesiada
In the grocery industry, any holiday is a busy time.
“People are always gathering—from Easter and Memorial Day to Thanksgiving and Christmas—and a lot of family memories are made throughout the year around meals,” says Trevor Phillips, who owns Phillips Family Grocery & Butcher Shop in Hiseville with his 3 siblings.
People need groceries to make those meals and memories happen, so for the Phillips family, holidays have always meant all hands on deck at the family store.
“We’re in our store. We’re seeing customers. We’re getting to build those relationships and be part of their mealtime and memory,” Trevor says. “I think that’s a unique side to it that we all enjoy, just getting to see those people on the holidays and know that they’re trusting you for their meals during that time.”
Trevor and his siblings, Tiffani Bennett, Kristin Childress, and Dusty Phillips, are the latest stewards of a store whose ownership has spanned generations. They have a unique vision to expand and serve even more local communities with groceries and memories.
A Lifetime of Training
Phillips Family Grocery was founded in 1960 by the late Clyde and Helen Phillips.
Their son, Jim, ran the store until his brother, Mike, bought it in 1999. Over the years, Mike tripled the grocery store’s size and oversaw a major renovation.
After Mike’s death in June 2023, his children, Trevor, Tiffani, Kristin, and Dusty, took ownership of the store. But Phillips Family Grocery was already ingrained in their lives. “We lived just a matter of feet from the grocery store, so we were there, in and out, every day, even prior to us starting to work there,” Dusty says.
He recalls hanging around the store’s front counter as a kid and getting to know his neighbors. “It gave us a chance to become familiar with the community at a young age,” Dusty says.
The siblings do their best to stay active with the local community to this day, a legacy their grandparents began 65 years ago. “We wanted to continue to honor their legacy and tradition,” Trevor says.
“That’s what we’ve built it on—being involved in the community. And the community, through time, has been gracious and supported us as well.”
Expanding Their Reach
When Trevor and his siblings took ownership of the store, they recognized a need to expand to better serve the local community.
At the end of last year, they opened a butcher shop in Glasgow, about 12 miles from the Hiseville location. Phillips Family Butcher Shop sells prime meats, fresh seafood, deli meats and cheeses, a selection of produce, and specialty seasonings and spices.
Phillips Family Grocery was already known for its meat. Dusty, a butcher since he was 15, says it was a natural fit to open a butcher shop. Phillips Family Butcher Shop offers all the same products, deals, and sales at the grocery store, in addition to higher-end and more exotic cuts of meat.
Some of the store’s beef is from a local source, Moore’s Family Farm. Those steaks always sell out quickly, Dusty says. He is also looking for local sources of other kinds of meat.
This year, Phillips Family Grocery will open a second, full-service grocery location in Greensburg, about 28 miles from Hiseville.
“That community has been without a grocery store for about 5 years now,” Trevor says. “These were 2 communities that we were interested in and needed these services, so we decided to bring them to those locations.”
A Family Affair
“We each have our own little niche that we tend to daily, which is good because we know that it’s getting done right, and we know that we’re making the best decisions for our customers,” Trevor says.
Trevor handles human resources and marketing, while Dusty is the head butcher. Kristin handles accounting, and Tiffani is in charge of pricing and contracts. All decisions are made locally, not in a corporate environment, Trevor says.
Facebook has been a popular way for locals to connect with their family members and their stores. With thousands of followers, social media is a helpful way to share things like special sales, Trevor says. Phillips Family Grocery also offers online shopping and curbside pickup. Patrons of Phillips Family Butcher Shop can order items from the grocery store online and pick them up at the butcher shop.
Phillips Family Grocery is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. While the new location has been a major focus for the family, Trevor says they are also planning an anniversary sale and recognition of the business’s and the family’s history.
“It’s been a blessing for our family to be able to work together and see each other on a daily basis,” Trevor says. “We’re a close-knit, tight family.”