R. C. Pruett was born into the grocery business. As a kid in Copeville, TX, a small town just north of Dallas, R. C. pumped gas and carried out groceries in the family business. His entrepreneurial spirit first showed up at the age of 12. He ran a firecracker stand where he sold one and popped two.
The first major change in his life came when he married Barbara Gentry just out of high school. He wanted to work anywhere but the family business, so he worked nights at a Dallas bomb factory while Barbara worked as a beautician. When he switched jobs and started selling cars, he and Barbara almost starved.
In 1966, R. C.’s parents, Raymond and Jewell, decided to get out of the family business so R. C. and Barbara bought the store and went into business for themselves.
Four years later, a highway bypass was being built around Copeville, so the young couple sold that store, packed up their two young kids, and moved north of the Red River. They purchased a grocery store in Antlers, OK and were quickly adopted by their new community. They’ve been there ever since. In 1977, they built the East Town Shopper Center, which includes the Pruett’s store still serving Antlers.
Over the past few years Pruett’s has expanded to Broken Bow, Valiant and Atoka in Oklahoma, DeQueen in Arkansas and Naples in Texas.