Meet The locals: Mark and Brittany Dokken

By Heather Rule

For Mark and Brittany Dokken, Larry’s Super Market is all in the family. They’re third generation owners having purchased the store from Brittany’s parents in January 2020.

The couple, who have lived in Pelican Rapids for eight years together, is involved in the business daily. Mark is on the inventory side, while Brittany handles the finances. But they’re really “involved in just about everything,” Mark said.

Besides running the super market, the Dokken’s are heavily involved in the community. Mark is the co-chair of the Pelican Rapids pool committee, Rotary Club, and Local Food, Local Places. He’s also a youth coach for football, basketball and baseball. Brittany is a school board member, and prior to that she was on the board for the Pelican Rapids Chamber of Commerce. She’s taught Sunday School and also helped organize the Everly Brothers Experience concert as a fundraiser for the construction of the city’s fine arts auditorium.

They also help with various benefits and church dinners, saying ‘yes’ to helping with a lot in the community. When it comes to community, Brittany thinks of the saying “It takes a village to raise a child. Well, this (Pelican Rapids) is our village,” Brittany said. “We’re all here to help each other. It makes you feel like you have a purpose and you belong.”

Mark and Brittany were both raised in the spirit of giving is better than receiving, Mark said. “We do that for our community to make sure the community succeeds,” Mark said, who added the importance of networking and helping other businesses in town.

The Dokkens have two sons and also want the community to be a great place for them to grow up.
Not only do they want to make it better for the boys to grow up, but they want Pelican Rapids to be a place they want to move back to, Mark said. “That’s a goal of mine,” Mark added.