About
History
Buchanan's first began operations in 1923, then later sold in 1946 to the Florine's. Buchanan's then operated under the Florine's until then owner of Buchanan's Kevin Florine sold the store to the Carlson family in 2019.
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Now the store is managed under the direction of Leslie's daughter Kacey Carlson who manages the day to day operations of the store and ensures that the store runs smoothly.
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Recently the store has been acclaimed as the Red Wing chamber of commerce's "Retailer of the Year" twice in a row, taking the award in both 2023 and 2024.
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Owner's Background
Leslie Carlson grew up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro after spending her early childhood in North Dakota. Her dad traveled throughout the United States for his job, and she remembers him coming home with “exotic” recipes for her mom to prepare. (One recipe included manicotti after traveling to Pennsylvania. Really exotic...) Back in the day, there just wasn't the diversity of recipes or ingredients we take for granted today. This sparked an early interest in food before the term “foodie” was coined.
Leslie brings a varied background of experience to Buchanan Grocery. She is a graduate of Minnesota State Mankato with majors in Microbiology and Secondary Life Science Education and a minor in Chemistry. She also holds a Master of Science in Management. Her work experience over the years has included everything from lab work with livestock feed to general management of company operations.
Currently, Leslie splits her time between Mike's Butcher shop in West St. Paul and Buchanan Grocery. The Carlson's have four adult children, some of whom are actively involved in the family business.