The owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports, a beloved paddlesports store near Madison, says he now wants to sell the company instead of closing it at the end of the year.
Owner Darren Bush initially announced in September the store will close at the end of 2025 as he pursues a new career as a hospice chaplain. But Bush said in an online post Oct. 16 he is now looking to sell Rutabaga after an outpouring of support from local paddlers asking him to keep the store running.
“After careful thought and heartfelt conversations with many mentors, I’ve realized that there is a path forward for Rutabaga that does not end with the doors closing,” Bush said in the post.
Rutabaga Paddlesports, located at 2620 Rimrock Road in the Madison suburb of Fitchburg, sells canoes and kayaks, paddling equipment and camping gear. Bush has worked full-time at the company since 1994 and became sole owner in 2007. In 2022, the company built a new solar-powered facility with a custom pier for customers to try gear before purchasing.
Bush told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he received hundreds of emails, messages and handwritten cards from customers following the initial announcement. One friend with a business background flew in from North Carolina to offer his help finding a buyer, Bush said.
Bush initially didn’t think he’d find anyone who could take over and maintain Rutabaga’s standards, but he said he’s since been in contact with prospective buyers, all paddlers themselves, who reached out to him about taking over the stores.
“I felt a little weird saying, ‘we’re not closing, nevermind.’ But people can change their mind,” Bush said.
Bush said the prospective buyers he’s spoken with share his vision for the store. That vision doesn’t include turning Rutabaga into a chain that sacrifices the quality of the products and service, he said.
“I want one good, solid place that people can go to get whatever they need,” Bush said.
Bush is still retiring to pursue chaplaincy, but he said he’ll help with the ownership transition and continue to organize the annual “Canoecopia” paddlesports expo in Madison. He expects the sale to take place in early 2026.
In the meantime, Rutabaga’s doors “will never close,” Bush said, but the store will continue its retirement sale through the end of the year.
Rutabaga Paddlesports is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, according to its website.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Owner of Madison’s Rutabaga Paddlesports says he’ll sell store instead of closing it
Reporting by Francesca Pica, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
