Dutchman’s Store in Cantril, Iowa: What to Expect Before You Go
Some stores are quick stops.
Dutchman’s Store in Cantril is not one of them.
This southeast Iowa destination is the kind of place where you walk in for one thing and leave with bulk spices, homemade noodles, candy, deli meat, cheese, fabric, kitchen gadgets, canning supplies, popcorn, and probably a few things you did not know you needed.
Dutchman’s Store has been drawing visitors to Cantril since 1985. In September 2024, the business moved from its longtime downtown location into a new 50,000-square-foot store along Highway 2. The larger building brings bulk foods, groceries, fabric, clothing, kitchen supplies, gifts, homestead goods, and a café together under one roof.
If you find an older article, map, or social media post pointing you toward downtown Cantril, be sure to use the current Highway 2 address.
Dutchman’s Store visitor information
Address: 14999 Highway 2, Cantril, Iowa 52542
Phone: 319-397-2322
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed: Sunday
Allow: At least 60 to 90 minutes for a first visit
Best for: Bulk foods, deli items, candy, fabric, kitchenware, canning supplies, practical household goods, gifts, and lunch
Credit, debit, and EBT cards are accepted, and an ATM is available inside. Hours can change around holidays, so check the current schedule before making a long drive.
What is Dutchman’s Store?
Dutchman’s Store combines a bulk-food market, grocery store, deli and café, fabric shop, kitchen store, clothing department, and old-fashioned general store under one roof.
It is less of a quick grocery stop and more of a place to wander.
One aisle may be filled with spices and baking supplies. The next may have candy, canned goods, kitchen tools, shoes, books, fabric, or practical items for the home and farm.
The variety is what makes the store interesting. Different visitors can walk through the same building and have completely different experiences. Some will head directly to the bulk foods. Others may spend most of their time looking through fabric, kitchen supplies, clothing, gifts, or the café.
How much time should you allow?
Plan more time than you think you will need.
Dutchman’s Store is much larger than many first-time visitors expect. It is easy to assume you will stop for 15 minutes, grab a few items, and continue down the road. Once you start moving through the departments, however, it becomes clear that this is a destination rather than a quick errand.
For a focused shopping stop, allow at least 30 to 45 minutes.
For a first visit, plan on approximately 60 to 90 minutes.
You could easily spend two hours or more if you want to browse most of the store, eat lunch, shop for fabric, and take your time in the bulk-food and kitchen sections.
Do not arrive shortly before closing and expect to see everything. The fun is in wandering through the aisles and discovering what is around the next corner.
Bulk foods, baking supplies, snacks, and candy
For many visitors, the bulk-food department is the main attraction.
This is where Dutchman’s feels most different from a traditional grocery store. Shoppers can browse spices, baking ingredients, grains, dried fruit, nuts, snack mixes, popcorn, candy, jarred goods, and other pantry staples.
You may find items such as:
- Bulk spices and seasonings
- Flour, sugar, and baking ingredients
- Soup, pasta, and dip mixes
- Nuts and dried fruit
- Popcorn and snack mixes
- Honey, syrup, jams, and jellies
- Pickles, salsa, and other jarred goods
- Traditional and old-fashioned candy
The exact selection changes, but this is a good place to stock a pantry, find unusual ingredients, or pick up snacks for the rest of your road trip. Dutchman’s also publishes weekly advertisements and in-store specials for shoppers who want to plan a larger grocery trip.
If you are traveling with children, the candy and snack sections can turn the visit into an “everyone choose one thing for the road” kind of stop.
Deli, café, meat, and cheese
Come hungry.
Dutchman’s Café serves sandwiches, homemade pizza, baked goods, and a rotating hot lunch buffet. The buffet is offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on store days.
Planning your visit around lunch makes Dutchman’s Store more than a shopping stop. You can browse for a while, eat at the café, and then continue exploring Cantril and the rest of Van Buren County.
The store also carries deli meat and cheese for shoppers who want to take food home.
Bring a cooler when Dutchman’s Store is your first stop of the day rather than your last. That is especially important during warm weather if you plan to buy meat, cheese, deli items, or anything else that should remain cold.
Fabric and sewing supplies
Dutchman’s Store is not just about food.
The fabric and sewing department is one of the reasons some visitors make a special trip to Cantril. Shoppers can browse fabric and a variety of sewing supplies in a department large enough to deserve time of its own.
Anyone who quilts, sews, or crafts should not treat this as a quick pass-through section. For some members of your group, it may be the main reason for visiting.
This is also one reason it can be helpful to decide how long your group wants to stay before entering the store. One person may be finished shopping while someone else has barely started looking through the fabric.
Kitchenware, canning supplies, and homestead goods
Another major draw is the large selection of practical products for cooking, preserving food, and taking care of a home.
Departments include kitchenware, canning and butchering supplies, farm and home products, homestead goods, and laundry supplies. Shoppers may find food-preparation tools, jars and canning accessories, kitchen gadgets, storage items, and products designed for a hands-on, self-sufficient lifestyle.
This is the part of the store where it is easy to discover a tool you did not know existed—or decide that you suddenly need one.
People who cook, bake, garden, preserve food, or prefer practical household products will want to slow down in these aisles.
Clothing, footwear, gifts, books, and toys
Dutchman’s Store also carries a wide range of non-food merchandise.
Depending on the current inventory, you may find clothing, shoes and boots, books, gifts, toys, health and beauty products, sporting goods, and other everyday items.
This broad selection gives the store its general-store personality. You are not walking through one narrowly focused retail category. You may move from groceries to shoes, then to toys, books, gifts, and kitchen supplies without leaving the building.
It also makes Dutchman’s a useful stop when you need a gift but are not sure what you are looking for.
Seasonal merchandise and plants
The selection changes throughout the year.
Spring visitors may find bedding plants and seasonal merchandise, while other times of year bring changing displays, special sales, and holiday-related items.
Because the seasonal selection varies, this part of the store may look different each time you visit.
Is Dutchman’s Store good for kids?
Dutchman’s Store can be fun for children who enjoy choosing candy, snacks, toys, or unusual treats.
However, it is still a shopping destination rather than a hands-on attraction. Younger children may lose patience if the adults in the group plan to browse every aisle for two hours.
Giving each child a small budget to choose a road-trip snack or treat can make the stop more enjoyable. Planning lunch at the café can also break up a longer shopping visit.
The wide aisles in the newer store make it easier for families to move around, but the building can become busy. Keep younger children nearby, especially in popular areas such as the candy, bulk-food, and café departments.
Turn the visit into a Van Buren County road trip
Dutchman’s Store works well as the anchor for a day trip through southeast Iowa.
Cantril is part of the Villages of Van Buren, a collection of small communities known for historic districts, local shops, scenic roads, parks, and access to the Des Moines River region. Nearby possibilities include Milton, Keosauqua, Bentonsport, Bonaparte, and Lacey-Keosauqua State Park.
Nearby stops to consider
Waubonsie Trail Park in Cantril
Waubonsie Trail Park is located on the northwest edge of Cantril.
The 23-acre park includes more than a mile of gravel trails, three covered bridges, a pond, a playground, a nine-hole disc golf course, campsites, and camping cabins. It is a convenient place to stretch your legs before or after shopping.
Milton Creamery in Milton
Milton Creamery is another food-focused stop along Highway 2.
The creamery produces artisan cheeses made with milk from small regional farms and operates a retail store at 202 East Highway 2 in Milton. Current hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Check the current schedule before planning your trip, especially during winter or around holidays.
Keosauqua
Keosauqua is one of the main communities in Van Buren County and can serve as a base for exploring the area.
Its location near the Des Moines River also makes it easy to combine shopping and dining with nearby parks, trails, and historic sites.
Bentonsport and Bonaparte
Bentonsport and Bonaparte are two historic Van Buren County villages along the Des Moines River.
They are natural additions for travelers interested in historic buildings, local shops, river scenery, and small-town Iowa. Store and attraction hours in these communities can be limited or seasonal, so check before building your entire day around a particular business.
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park
Lacey-Keosauqua State Park covers 1,662 acres near Keosauqua and offers hiking, fishing, camping, swimming, and views along the Des Moines River.
The park has approximately 13 miles of trails through wooded valleys and bluffs, making it a good choice when you want to add outdoor time to a shopping-focused road trip.
Is Dutchman’s Store worth the drive?
Yes—especially if you enjoy stores that feel different from the typical retail experience.
Dutchman’s is a working store rather than an attraction created only for visitors. Its appeal comes from the huge variety of practical, unusual, old-fashioned, and fun products gathered under one roof.
Come for bulk foods, fabric, lunch, kitchen supplies, candy, or simply the experience of wandering through a store unlike most others in Iowa.
Give yourself extra time, bring a cooler, and leave some room in the car.
You will probably find more than you planned to buy.
