PELL CITY — Shoppers are enjoying a $3 million facelift to the Winn-Dixie grocery store.“It came out good,” said store director Pat Trueheart. “I’m pleased.”
The Winn-Dixie in Pell City has a new look inside and out, he pointed out, and store customers Wednesday were given small pieces of cake, welcoming them to the newly remodeled store on U.S. 231.
“Welcome to the new Winn-Dixie,” the writing on the cake said.
The cake also had the store’s slogan: “Getting better all the time.”
The Winn-Dixie in Pell City made a huge step in “getting better all the time” with an appealing look and hundreds of new products in its recent expansion project.
“We have 300 new items just in the produce section that we never carried before,” Trueheart said, adding that the store now has a full line of organic produce.
But that’s not the only department with a new look and more products.
There are 100 new items in the bakery, and the expanded meat department has a new fresh seafood section.
The beer and wine section has about doubled in size, and the dairy case is 30 feet longer.
Trueheart said the remodeling project began in mid-July.
“They have worked around the clock,” he said.
At one point there was a backhoe inside the produce department, digging away in certain spots for new refrigerator cases.
“There’s only one case in this store that wasn’t replaced,” said Trueheart, who became the new store manager in January. Trueheart comes from Bessemer.
He walked down the isles, pointing out new features inside the store.
“We never had a frozen meat case, now we have all this variety,” Trueheart said, pointing to a glass case with frozen meats inside.
The bakery also looked brand new, top to bottom.
“They replaced every single thing in the bakery and deli — cases, ovens, everything,” Trueheart said.
The bakery and deli also will begin serving breakfast every morning for $4.99 a pound.
“We’ll be serving breakfast from 6 to 9 each morning,” said a bakery employee.
The store’s pharmacy also was revamped, from the floors to the ceilings.
The newly renovated Winn-Dixie store is much more open now, with a customer-friendly design. The produce area has wooden floors, and there is new floor tile throughout the large store. Inside walls are freshly painted with warm colors, and the store has fully remodeled restrooms.
“With expanded product offerings, a more modern look and friendly service, the newly remodeled store is better for our associates, neighbors and the community,” said Richard McGough, district manager for Winn-Dixie.
The Pell City Winn-Dixie is officially celebrating its remodeling completion this week and has special events planned to thank shoppers for their patience during the renovations.
Trueheart said the community is welcome to come by and take a look at the newly remodeled store, and on Saturday the store is slated to have a “Family Fun Day.”
On Saturday, the Pell City High School band will bag groceries for tips and assist with a grilling event to help raise money for band trips.
Trueheart said there will also be a “King of the Mountain” rock wall in the store parking lot. Snow cones and face painting are also being offered Saturday for youngsters, and the local radio station will broadcast live from the store.
Trueheart said the Police Department will have a K-9 unit and D.A.R.E. officers on hand to share information about resisting peer pressure.
Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. is one of the nation’s largest food retailers. Founded in 1925, the company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. The company currently operates 521 retail grocery locations, including more than 400 in-store pharmacies in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi.
