Northern Illinois transplant seeks simple life with general store

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

"Hi, Laurie," Mitrevski said, using a free hand to offer a wave to one of the regulars at the Ozark General Store. His nasal tone suggested he is not from these parts.

"Can I buy a tomato?" Laurie asked before blowing into her cupped hands. It was cold this early February morning.

Mitrevski slid the ham and cheese sandwich onto a glass plate, handed it to a hungry patron, then headed over to his produce container. He reached in for a ripe tomato that sat on a shelf with various fresh vegetables. Assorted cheeses and deli meats were on shelves above the greens. Mitrevski bagged the tomato, pecked his cash register buttons and asked Laurie about her family as she waited for her change. Then he sent her on a way with a hearty "see you soon."

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

Just when it seemed the morning rush was about to end, Mitrevski — attempting to sit for a cup of coffee with his customers — had to put downtime on hold as the phone rang. The caller identification read "out of area." Mitrevski expected an automated operator to be on the other end of the line.

"I don't need to talk to computers today," he scoffed before putting the phone back on the counter.

That just wouldn't fit into Mitrevski’s ideal life in Ozark, a small unincorporated community in Johnson County on the southeastern cusp of the Shawnee National Forest.

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

Mitrevski, 37, has everything he needs here and is far from requiring the help of a robotic salesman. He has his general store, a healthy crop of regulars and a wife to go home to on a 50-acre piece of land surrounded by unadulterated nature. And it all takes place in the land of the Shawnee National Forest, a region that Mitrevski considers one of the nation's most beautiful spots.

But while he calls southern Illinois home, there is no way he could be native. His distinctive, thick accent just does not fit in with the tongues of the lifelong locals.

In fact, Mitrevski hails from Dupage County in a western suburb of Chicago. He spent his life dealing with the rush of big city living and made money by keeping the bright lights running as a journeyman electrician.

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

Mitrevski, however, alwayshad a love for the outdoors and rural settings. Fishing and hiking always heldmore allure to him than traffic jams and skyscrapers.

When he met his wife, Tracy, who had roots in southern Illinois, Mitrevski had plenty of opportunities to visit places such as the Shawnee. The couple eventually bought a cabin downstate for vacations, then quite frankly out of the blue, became permanent residents.

Tracy, an entrepreneur in hospitality with a dislike for the word "no," said she came across the Ozark General Store — a business that had been around for nearly 100 years — and asked the owners to sell it to her. They were initially reluctant, but after Tracy threatened to open up shop down the road, the store quickly became the Mitrevskis’ possession.

The couple moved from up north to down south in summer 2006 and have since blossomed the establishment into quite the operation. It's a gas station, grocery store, restaurant and coffee shop all rolled into one bundle. There's nothing like it in Ozark or in the vicinity.

To some passersby, the store might seem a bit out of place. Homes are located to the north and south and across the street to the east. Its west side backdoor leads almost directly into a large horse pasture.

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

Despite the somewhat rugged surroundings, the Ozark’s interior is anything but disheveled. The floors are clean, the shelves neatly stocked and the only recognizable sound besides Mitrevski’s bustling behind the counter and the conversation of the loyal patrons is the dull buzz of four refrigerators. Two eight-point bucks on the west wall are the store’s unofficial mascots.

Longtime Johnson County resident Doug Cross is among the many regulars who stop in many mornings throuhout the week for a cup of coffee and good conversation.

"We talk politics, we talk hunting, we talk life and everything in between," said Cross, who used to perform daredevil stunts on his motorcycle in the area. "It’s kind of like a barbershop in that it’s sort of a social hub. I’m sure there’s just as much B.S. said here as at a barbershop, too."

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

The store, similar to most small-town businesses in the Shawnee National Forest region, relies heavily on dedicated regulars to stay afloat. But it’s the seasonal tourists who open the economic spigot and create a massive cash flow for these businesses.

The Ozark General Store sees a heavy influx of rock climbers waltz through the doors, either en route to a site or in search of a hot meal in between climbs. Mitrevski said he sees many return visitors from all across the country who are drawn to the hot ham and cheese sandwiches and his own special breed of barbecue.

This area of the Shawnee National Forest is also home to Camp Ondessonk, a Catholic youth camp. It’s a healthy source of kids and their families who flood the store throughout the summer. Mitrevski said it’s common for a line to form outside the store during the busiest days of the warm season.

While tourism dollars allow Mitrevski to make a comfortable living and set his sights on expanding the store — more seating and a self-service car wash are possibilities — he said the faces he sees almost every day and the relationships he has kindled in the past two years make it all worthwhile.

"I like my loafers," Mitrevski said of the customers who aren't afraid to buy a coffee and early morning bite and shoot the breeze in the store for potentially hours on end.

Photo by Ryan Rendleman

Central to the crop of regulars is a crew of locals — many of them lifelong Ozark tenants — who Mitrevski considers the faculty of the "University of Ozark." They congregate around what has been dubbed "The Table of Knowledge" to discuss, in-depth, whatever subject arises. Mitrevski's favorite morning ritual involves listening in on the conversation or sitting down to chew the fat when business comes to a lull.

"It's amazing what you'll learn," Mitrevski said.

One thing Mitrevski said he has learned is that southern Illinois is the place for him. Even though he was initially skeptical two years ago about leaving his comfortable life in Dupage County to risk everything on a small-town general store, he says things have worked out for the best for him and his wife.

"Life does not put things in front of you that you are unable to handle," he said.

For Mitrevski, there's one aspect of southern Illinois above all others that keeps him around.

"The lack of concrete jungle, without a doubt," he said with an almost relieved tone. "Some people are enthralled when they see the buildings of Chicago. I'm amazed when I see a woodpecker."