A grocery store in a small town is more than a place to buy food. It’s where people gather, share the news of the day, and revel in being part of a community

In Lenox, shoppers can get all that and more at Ramsey’s Market.

In 2012, Theo and Bonnie Ramsey brought a new concept to the southern Iowa town of 1,400, one that would earn them an Iowa Farm Bureau Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur Award.

“We’ve always been nuts about grocery shopping. It’s sort of a hobby,” says Bonnie Ramsey, who grew up in the Lenox area. “When we first met, we would go to grocery stores just for fun.” Bonnie and Theo, a Seattle native, met in California while serving in the U.S. Air Force, where they were both members of the USAF choir.

They...