Focusing on storytelling, this is a text story that showcases our subject, personal life, and career of the great Eugene-based legend Ruth Yi.

A cracked and rough driveway off of Hillyard Street in Eugene, Oregon leads up to the fixer-upper called Cottage Market. Inside is the owner Ruth Yi, whose charm could brighten up the devil’s day. Ruth is a seventy-seven-year-old from South Korea, running her small market in Eugene for five years. Her caring and sweet personality cast a golden glow on Cottage Market making it a popular place to shop for customers that looked for a drink and a grandmotherly encounter. 

When Yi first came to the United States in 1973, she and her husband opened a cafeteria in California for 13 years with no experience. “It was hard at first, but everyone was so kind, which made it better.” Yi lost her cafeteria from lack of business and then worked at the dry cleaners in Eugene, Oregon. After 18 years of cleaning and folding clothes, Yi started her business, naming it Cottage Market. “It was a hard start,” Yi said. “The economy drove us out of business, but the city of Eugene allowed us to operate out of our garage.” Today, Yi still operates out of the converted garage. 

As of August 2022, signs of an economic recession started showing up all over the country, which damaged small businesses like Yi’s, especially since she was competing with larger chain stores around town. 

 Yi’s plan for the recession comprised “…cutting down operating hours” and “…hopping on the register myself.” Asking about the future of Cottage Market, one of Yi’s workers, Ian, expressed high hopes for Yi and her expertise. “She is a smart woman,” he said. “She battled her way through the pandemic. I think she is prepared for more.” 

The inevitable future comes fast for Yi and her business, which is why she said it is essential to act and “do the most with what you’ve got.” To this day, you can find Yi steering the ship at Cottage Market filled with optimism, equipped with a quick smile, and making friends with customers who came and went. The seventy-seven-year-old Eugene legend is prepared and won’t be going down without a fight.

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