ZUMBRO FALLS, Minn. — When Reggie Reinke purchased what would become Reinke’s Corner north of Rochester in the bicentennial year of 1976, he was 19 and had little idea of how to run a store.

What he did have was a strong work ethic honed from being raised and working on his family dairy farm. The store boasted a can’t-miss location. So he made a go of it with no idea of how long it might last.

It ended up wildly defying his expectations. The years added up. Next thing he knew, Reinke’s was within reach of a seemingly unimaginable milestone: 50 years of serving a wide band of loyal customers as a cultural and commercial fixture. And Reinke, 68, can hardly believe it.

“I had a guy here a few years ago who asked me, ‘You gonna make it to 50?’” Reinke said. “I don’t think I’ll stick around

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