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Kroger celebrating grand re-opening today

Kevin McCune Miami cheerleaders help celebrate Kroger's grand re-opening Tuesday, March 2.

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By Kevin McCune Contributing Writer 12:56 PM Tuesday, March 2, 2010

OXFORD —The construction tarps and trucks are picking up and finally moving out.

Oxford Kroger celebrated the completion of a seven-month remodeling project with a ribbon cutting ceremony for their grand re-opening at 8 a.m. Tuesday March 2 at the 300 S. Locust St. store.

The ceremony consisted of two official ribbon cuttings, one with Kroger’s managers and employees and one of Oxford community leaders. Miami University cheerleaders and athletic coaches were also on hand for the ceremony. The Miami University Hockey and basketball teams made appearances later in the day along with stilt walkers.

Ed Begley, head store manager, was glad to see the project come to completion.

“We’ve been working on planning for two to three years. The actual physical remodeling has been done in the last seven months,” he said.

Begley is excited and ready for customers to come in and enjoy all the new things about the store.

“This is really relieving the fact that we’ve been working on this thing these past seven months, and just being able to show customers the finished product,” he said.

Begley explained all the new variety and additions such as the new bistro, expanded produce department, expanded sea and meat departments, as well as the expanded wine shop.

With free-sample stands at nearly every corner of the store, shoppers could feel free to try many of the variety of items Kroger is now selling.

“I absolutely love it,” said Oma Jeter, of Oxford.

Jeter had come in to buy one thing but explained that with all the great deals she was quickly filling her cart.

“I love the way it’s set up, I have been waiting for this for more than a year,” she said.

Jeter’s favorite additions were in the bakery.

“We have a lot more in the bakery, that I am very pleased with,” she said.

Jack Gifford, of Oxford, liked the new energy efficient lights the store has installed in their frozen food section. His favorite new addition is the expanded produce section.

“Particularly the produce is the highlight and there’s good meats, I can find everything I want in one place,” he said.

Gifford was not the only customer whose favorite part was the newly expanded produce section. Kathleen Veslany 39, of Oxford felt the same way.

“I like the produce department and I like the sushi,” she said.

Kyle SirLouis, a junior at Miami University, was happy with the new variety the store now offers.

“I love the new selections and fresh food made to order, I live off-campus so I do all my shopping here,” he said.

Kroger’s Drug and GM manager, Chris Robertson’s favorite expansion doesn’t even come from his own department.

“I probably should say my department because my department expanded quite a bit, but my stomach says the new bistro,” he said. “It’s nice having your lunch cooked by a professional chef every day.”

Robertson is just looking forward to getting back to business.

“I don’t think there are words to describe how relieved we are,” he said. “I think we’re all excited to just get all this over with, and get back to running the store. It’s a great store to work at.”

One employee who’s just ready to get back to work is Tari Halcomb, who works in the bakery.

“It’s the neatest place I’ve worked,” she said.

Craig Erickson, of Oxford, thought the store did a wonderful job of staying open throughout the remodeling process with all of the tarps and organization that had to go into it.

Erickson explained Kroger has come a long way since he’s lived in Oxford. He can remember a time when Kroger was in the small building that is now home to this very own newspaper, the Oxford Press.

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