Kroger hosted a ribbon-cutting for its Merchants Village location earlier this week.
District manager Mike Plattenburger was accompanied by administrators from Kroger’s Atlanta office, along with the staff of Kroger 294, on Columbia Road. There the supermarket chain celebrated the completion of $1.5 million in renovations with a grand reopening event.
The investment yielded an upgraded deli bakery, produce departments and center store preset, alongside a new sushi and chicken counter, a remodeled pharmacy counseling room, and new restrooms.
“I just want to recognize the investment that we put in our commitment to the Augusta area,” said Plattenburger, applauding his regional colleagues and administrators in Kroger’s Atlanta division, including Atlanta division president Victor Smith. “And for that, we thank everybody.”
During the ceremony, Tammie Young, the Atlanta division’s corporate affairs manager, presented $500 gift cards to the store’s education partners, Martinez Elementary and Lakeside Middle schools, and promoted Kroger’s charity initiative Zero Hunger/Zero Waste.
The program supports local hunger relief efforts—with the stated goal “to end hunger by providing 10 billion meals in all of the communities that we serve,” said Young—by rounding up purchases by customers to raise funds toward community food rescue, and by working with local food banks—in this case, Golden Harvest.
The refurbished grocery store in Martinez represents Kroger’s latest million dollar plus investment. Last summer, the Washington Walk Kroger hosted a similar celebration, amid the completion of a $1.1 million renovation project. Last May, Augusta officials were part of the grand opening event for the Eisenhower Crossing Kroger Marketplace, a $32 million development project.
The Merchants Village Kroger is located at 4115 Columbia Road in Martinez.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
