After months of anticipation, the new Humboldt Co-op food store officially opened its doors on Saturday, and there were plenty of customers eager to start shopping.
Despite being right in the middle of the Summer Sizzler's hottest events, the enormous parking lot of the grocery store was nearly full.
Scuff-free linoleum floors and shiny new freezer doors, expanded aisles and samples of food all greeted customers as they flocked through the entrance. Everything was so new and almost waxed to perfection that even the fruit looked fake.
It was clear that the store has a much wider selection of products in its aisles, even carrying gourmet food items like every single kind of Inglehoffer mustard, rock lobster tails and other tasty little treats that are normally only found in a hole-in-the-wall gourmet deli.
The sweet aroma of sugar and cinnamon wafted out of the bakery section, as it's now been revamped to include bakers on site and scrumptious treats made-to-order.
Right next to it is the new deli, with fresh meats and an À la carte selection of foods. General manager Phil Griffeth said if they prefer, customers can place their order, do their shopping and when they're about to leave, their meal will be heated and ready to take home.
Still, there are aspects of the store that some may think aren't so great. The produce section is a little smaller when compared with other stores, for instance, and some may find the new location a little out of the way.
After all, it no longer has the convenience of running along Main Street, where people can walk in on their lunch break.
You'll definitely need a car to get to the new one.
But some may think it's a fair trade-off: wider selection over distance.
With Boston Pizza opening in the fall and other stores setting up shop nearby, traffic to the area will be steadfastly increasing anyway.
Only time will tell if Humboldt residents think the Co-op store on Highway 5 is the new gem of the town, or not up to snuff.
