Fresh Co. grocery store opens in Findlay Creek

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Eddie Rwema

EMC News - Findlay Creek residents will now be able to shop for groceries without worrying about transportation or other added expenses.

The newly built Fresh Co. store at 4750 Bank St., was officially opened on Jan. 20 making it Sobeys first new Fresh Co. store in the province.

All the other Fresh Co. stores have been only converted from already built stores.

The store is a great convenience for many residents who will now no longer have to drive out into the city to check off their grocery list.

Excited shoppers stormed the store just few minutes after the ribbon was cut.

For Patsy Froome, who has been doing her shopping in Greely and South Keys, the opening of Fresh Co. is more than good news to her.

"It is nice. I will be here all the time," said Froome.

"This is great. I can walk here."

The nearly 3,000-square-metre store offers a larger selection of products.

"I haven't looked all way through but so far it looks so nice to me," said shopper Hilda Thomas.

As for Linda Reed, it is the freshness and cleanliness of the store that struck her.

"I think it is a great store. The area needed it. It is bright, fresh, and clean and I really like it," said Reed.

She said it was long overdue, for Findlay Creekers to have a store like that.

Store manager, Trevor Edwards said the Fresh Co. is a great addition to the community.

"It is a great opportunity for Findlay Creek to have somewhere they can shop locally and enjoy what we have to offer," said Edwards.

Besides products, the store is a source of income to about 140 people most of them living in the Findlay Creek neighbourhood.

"It is great for the community," he said.

In addition to a focus on fresh and discount food, the store will be tailored to the local market by teaming up with local producers who will be selling their large volumes of produce to the store.

"We support our local vendors in the area by bringing-in their products." said Edwards.

"We want to support the local community and give our customers what they are looking for."

He added that the new stores will contain more fresh produce and more fresh baked goods.

Other tenants at the Findlay Creek plaza include Tim Hortons, LCBO, a Subway restaurant, Gabriel's Pizza, a Lebanese bakery and an Italian restaurant, as well as medical services such as a dentist's, a physiotherapist's and an optian's offices and a family medical centre that will hire about five family doctors as well as several dieticians and other specialists.

For young families, a Tiny Hoppers daycare centre will also move in. Shoppers Drug Mart, along with the grocery store, will anchor the plaza.

Eddie.rwema@metroland.com