Misty Watson
Douglas Moore said there’s no need to go to any other grocery store. The Kroger on Walnut Avenue has all he needs.
“I’m here a lot,” said Moore, of Dalton. “I love management’s specials. They have what I’m looking for.”
Moore was shopping at Kroger Sunday morning following a grand re-opening ceremony.
Kroger officials and employees were celebrating an addition of approximately 24,000 square feet and a renovation which added several amenities. New additions include an expanded produce section, an expanded meat section, and an expanded wine section.
It’s the meat department that brings Moore back.
The meat department carries a wide variety of meat including several cuts of beef and lamb, as well as chicken and seafood.
“We have a full variety of further prepared items — stuffed chicken or beef, differently seasoned items,” said Randy Kirk, the store’s meat and seafood specialist. “We have a full team of people ready to serve and cut. If you don’t see the cut of meat you want, they’ll cut it for you.”
Mayor David Pennington said he’s glad for Kroger’s expansion. Not only is he a regular customer in the store, but he said the renovation and expansion is a step in the right direction for Dalton.
“Council members and I wanted to upgrade our retail offerings,” Pennington said. “Kroger’s helping us do that. We really appreciate everything Kroger’s done.”
The expansion came during a time when many other businesses are seeing financial cutbacks due to hard economic times. But with approximately 28,000 customer transactions each week, Kroger officials said they needed to expand.
“We looked at the store and made a decision on how to better serve our customers,” said district manager Gloria Matthews. “We have one of a kind (services and products) you can’t get from any place else.”
Durenda Underwood said she’s been shopping at Kroger for years.
“They have a wider selection that you don’t find any other place,” said Underwood, of Dalton. “Everything is displayed well. Everybody is so nice.”
There is one down side, though, Underwood said.
“It’s so big now,” she said. “Sometimes you get to one side of the store and realize you forgot something... And you don’t feel like going all the way back.”
