Cottage Market, commonly referred to as “Ruth’s,” a small market tucked away on E 16th Ave. and Hilyard Street in Eugene, has closed. Owned by Ruth Yi, Cottage Market is a store that provides a selection of local and artisanal goods loved by many students and Eugene locals with an owner adored by so many.
Yi, 79, began Cottage Market after 18 years of washing and folding clothes at a drycleaning business. She converted the garage of her home into a business and created what came to be an iconic part of the Eugene and University of Oregon community.
However, after roughly eight years of owning Cottage Market, Yi has decided to go into retirement.
business go, (Cottage Market) is a staple of Eugene and it is going to be different without her store.”
Yi held a special bond with most of her customers. She would refer to her college customers as her “grandchildren” and some customers would refer to her as “Mama Ruth.”
Yi spends time getting to know her customers personally. Some students even bring their parents to the market when they are in town just to meet her. The store’s walls are covered in fraternity and sorority composites as well as photos from many student organizations. Yi finds the student support unbelievable.
“I remember when I first was introduced to my sorority freshman year, one of the first places my big took me to was Ruth’s because she means a lot to our sorority family and my big said you can’t have a real college experience in Eugene without meeting Ruth,” customer Estelle Long said.
UO student Elijah Acosta added by saying, “everyone I’ve known that has gone to UO has talked about Ruth’s and told me it was always the place to go.”
Yi was born in 1945 in South Korea and after relocating to California in 1968, she and her spouse purchased a cafeteria five years later. For 13 years, Yi and her husband ran the cafeteria.
In 1986, after losing her business, she relocated to Eugene. Yi worked at a dry cleaning business once she was in Eugene. She claimed she mostly has positive memories of her 18 years of employment at a dry cleaner. However, she is still astonished by what happened afterward.
Yi and her husband were offered the house where Cottage Market stands by a friend to rent out for a profit, but the city let them run their store out of the garage after the competitive market started to hurt their business. Yi decided to launch the market because she saw the chance as a gift from the city. She remarked that she considers it a gift from God that she owns one of the busiest stores close to campus.
Now, with eight years of memories for Yi and her customers, the store has come to a close. The talk of “Ruth’s” and the leading lady behind the business will not be forgotten by students and customers, for Cottage Market has been a vital piece of the community.
