Dalby Health Foods Store lives on following closing down scare

After former owner Deanna Russell emotionally announced the closure of Dalby Health Foods Store, a mother and daughter duo stepped in to save the beloved health hub and continue its 50 year legacy. See the full story.

New owner of the Dalby Health Foods Store with former owner. (L-R): Imogen Bailey, Monica Bailey, Isabella and Deanna Russell. Picture: Emily Devon​

Former owner of Dalby’s health hub Deanna Russell had announced the store’s closure before a local family stepped in at the last minute to revive the shop, bringing a breath of fresh air to the business and continuing its 50-year legacy.

Ms Russell took over Dalby Health Store a year and a half ago with her five-month-old daughter Isabella by her side, and said she made the difficult decision to let go of ownership after her health began to deteriorate last year.

“I felt run down and I was only just functioning and that was upsetting,” she said.

“When I had Isabella I had all this drive to do things, I thought ‘I just had this human’, ‘I’ve birthed this human’, ‘I can do anything I want’.

“But in hindsight it was too hard with a baby.”

The former owner said she wasn’t able to provide the quality of service to her loyal customers that she wanted.

“I had to make the call to close down for me and my family,” she said.

After putting the business up for sale in August 2022 and having no valid offers come through, Ms Russell reluctantly announced the store’s closure at the start of 2023 before receiving a call from Dalby woman Monica Bailey.

Mrs Bailey, a returning customer to the shop for years, said purchasing the store wasn’t on her radar as she was happy raising four kids and working part-time as a massage therapist.

“It was announced (the store) was closing and I thought ‘oh that’s so sad’, I still wasn’t really thinking about it in March,” she said.

New owner of the Dalby Health Foods Store Monica Bailey with daughter Imogen. Picture: Emily Devon

“I’d thought ‘it’s such a shame, it’s such a good business’, so when I came in to grab a couple of things all of a sudden I saw it in a different light.”

After confiding in her 19-year-old daughter Imogen and her husband the Dalby mum called Ms Russell to confirm the details before finally purchasing the store.

Imogen said after seeing how passionate her mum was about the shop she decided to tag along for the ride.

“I really thought she could take it on and then I thought, ‘OK I’ll do it with you’,” she said.

Not only does 2023 mark the 50 year anniversary of the Dalby Health Store, but Monica said that nine years ago she had to make the difficult decision to shut up her own children’s boutique located right next door to the health shop after having her youngest daughter.

“Trying to have a baby and doing home life, I knew I had to give time to home and I never regretted that because my kids needed me there,” she said.

“Here we are nine years later. I hope the same for Dea in a few years.”

After a new coat of paint and a few rearrangements Dalby Health Store opened its doors Tuesday, with the revival bringing joy and happiness to the former owner.

“I wanted to cry at how beautiful the shop looked,” Ms Russell said.

“It’s for the best.”

As for now, Mrs Bailey said she plans to start stocking a small selection of fresh produce in store following the reopening, while Ms Russell prepares to hit the road with her family and travel around Australia in September.

Originally published as Dalby Health Foods Store lives on following closing down scare