There was a massive amount of activity Sunday afternoon at 2519 W. Meighan Blvd., with an “all-nighter” all but certain, as store management and staff prepared Gadsden’s newest grocery store for customers.
Fresh-Value opens its doors to customers at 7 a.m. Monday, less than three months after the Birmingham-based company announced plans to locate in the Alabama City community.
“We’ll be working all night long, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” Perry Barnett, store manager, said amid the shelf stocking and testing of checkout counters. “We’ll be ready.”
The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. Signage has yet to be installed on the storefront but is in place at the entrance to the shopping center on Meighan Boulevard.
Alabama City has been without a grocery store for more than four years, since another Birmingham-based vendor, Mi Pueblo, closed its doors in September 2016 after less than a year in business. The site previously housed a Food World that closed in 2013.
D’Alessandro Enterprises, LLC; Fourth Avenue Super Market, Inc.; and property owner Park Grimmer had pledged to spend $2.5 million renovating the store, which has 42,000 square feet of interior space. Most expenditures will go toward interior improvements such as replacing coolers.
Previously: City council approves economic agreement for Alabama City grocery store
The company had said it would employ at least 65 workers with an annual payroll of $1,352 million. The city in an economic incentive agreement will rebate 40% of its sales tax proceeds over five years or $780,000, whichever comes first.
“We’re excited to come to Alabama City and we anticipate great things here,” said Brian Rhoten, operations manager for Fresh-Value, which also has stores in Bessemer, Pell City and Trussville. “It seems like everywhere we turn, people are receptive. They’ve been trying to come in and shop thinking we’re already open.”
The store officials described Fresh-Value as an old-school chain that focus on “providing the best deals and bargains.” They offered “five truths” about the chain: meat cut fresh daily in the store to provide the highest quality at the lowest prices; the lowest overall prices in town; fresh produce deliveries six days a week; the largest selection selection of cold beer at low prices; and the best team members working in stores.
“We’re not going to try to be somebody else,” Barnett said. “We want to be the best at what we do.”
Still, there are plans to open a sushi bar with an in-house sushi chef in the next few weeks, plus the store will have a smoker that will provide ribs, pork butts, chicken and smoked sausage.
Fresh-Value operates on a “cost plus 10%” format. “If you compare us to the competition, we’ll be cheaper than they are on most items,” Rhoten said. “We may not beat them on every item, but overall we’ll be cheaper.” He said the chain also tries to cater its stores to the neighborhoods where they’re located.
Rhoten said the store will have a weekly ad but will also offer other items at sale prices. Customers can follow it on Facebook at https://bit.ly/2YxMloI.
The Link LonkFebruary 01, 2021 at 04:39AM
https://www.gadsdentimes.com/story/business/2021/01/31/alabama-city-fresh-value-set-open-monday/4332635001/
Fresh-Value grocery store opens Monday in Alabama City - Gadsden Times
https://news.google.com/search?q=fresh&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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