CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After 65 weeks under construction, the work at the Kroger at Ashton Place in Charleston is complete. Wednesday, the staff held a ribbon cutting on the the $12.3 million project.
“It was an expansion and a remodel. We stayed open the entire time,” explained store manager Joe Lamanca. “It was a lot of work. Our customers are great. They stuck with us the whole time to see the end product and the rewards for that.”
The store was built back in 1989 and was 53,000 square feet. But Lamanca said as big as that was at the time, their customer base had grown and more room was needed. That’s why they added an additional 17,000 square feet and hired 25 new associates.
“Our employees were fantastic. They’d come in every day and things would be moved. They had to do their job differently every day,” explained the manager.
Customers will get to enjoy expanded departments now that the project is complete.
“Our perishable departments, our deli and meat and seafood, produce, natural food departments. They like the selection of everything they can get and the variety,” stressed Lamanca.
Basic items such as milk, bread and snacks have now been moved up to the front of the store for easier access. There’s also two chefs preparing hot meals. The store has also added additional registers and two self-checkout areas.
Charleston Mayor Danny Jones helped Lamanca cut the ribbon.