Store shelves were somewhere between half and three quarters restocked as customers shopped Monday morning.
KDLG News: N&N Properties spokesperson Sloan Unwin says word from the store Monday indicated the reopening was off to a good start.
"I think it's pretty positive. The community definitely wants some competition in the grocery option. And we're going to get the store stocked fully over the next coming weeks," says Unwin.
Former owner Omni Enterprises sold off most of the inventory in a liquidation sale before the store closed on March 20. New owners Sea Lion and Choggiung Corporations have been replacing that inventory ahead of the April 6 reopening.
On Monday there was fresh produce on hand, the deli was open, and employees were restocking shelves while customers shopped. Not all of the former employees have their jobs back, but Unwin says more should get rehired in the weeks ahead.
"What we are doing is bring the store back from zero to full run here as quickly as we can, but that is taking a little bit of time. So we are hiring people back as we have a need for that position."
What may take longer is restoring some of the assistance programs for low income shoppers.
"WIC and food stamps have very structured government processes to go through. We have to apply as a new business, and there are very hard time frames for that," says Unwin. "We are getting the applications in, and filling out the paper work and sending them back to the appropriate governmental agencies. At the same time, we're pleading our case and asking for something outside the normal course of business."
Unwin says some of the state agencies managing the assistance programs have indicated a willingness to expedite N&N’s applications.