The grocery store — the culmination of about six years of work by the nonprofit Homefull — got off to a fast start last week, welcoming about 180 customers during the first day of a soft opening.
That was considered good turnout since there was virtually no marketing push and many people learned about the opening through word-of-mouth.
The market occupies about 14,000 square feet of a 45,000-square-foot facility that Homefull has built. It also has medical offices, a pharmacy, a food hub, community space and the nonprofit’s headquarters and offices.
The $20 million project is the first phase of Homefull’s plan to redevelop the 16-acre former Carlson school site.
“To get to this point is like surreal to us,” said Tina Patterson, CEO of Homefull. “People are so excited, and we’re hearing from people in the neighborhood who are just like, ‘It’s even better than I thought it would be.’ ”
“We want this to become a community grocery store,” she said. “I want my cashiers to know people by name and we want people to feel good about coming in and feel safe and that we have high-quality selections.”
Gettysburg Grocery had a soft opening on Thursday and Friday, but normal operating hours begin Monday, Jan. 13. The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week. A grand opening celebration event is planned for Feb. 6.
GG is a full-service grocery store that sells fresh meat and produce, dairy and bread items, canned goods and nonperishables, frozen food, household items, pet products and other necessities.
Homefull says GG is bigger than the standard Trader Joe’s, and its retail space is significantly larger than the Gem City Market, which is the community-owned food cooperative 4 miles away in northwest Dayton.
The store sells brand-name products, plus discount items from its wholesaler, under labels like Best Choice and Always Save.
John Patterson, Homefull’s chief business development officer, said the store is open to everyone in the community and its prices are very competitive and comparable to Kroger and Walmart.
A jar of Jif peanut butter, for instance, was 10 cents more expensive than Walmart, but 10 cents cheaper than Target.
“We know as a nonprofit that we’re going to have to underwrite some of the operational costs,” John Patterson said. “We know we’re going to be raising money, ongoing, as part of our overall operations of Homefull so we can keep prices competitive.”
The market was a major undertaking, especially considering that the costs of goods, materials and construction surged in the wake of the pandemic, Tina Patterson said.
But Tina Patterson said Homefull took on this project and persevered because there is a big need for food and groceries in southwest Dayton and yet none of the big box stores or grocery chains were willing to take a risk and step up and build a new store in the area.
Tina Patterson said some people are surprised to learn that GG is a “real deal” grocery store, even though it was created by a nonprofit.
Charles Calloway, 64, who lives nearby on Germantown Street, said GG’s product selection looks good and the store’s location will be much more convenient for many people who live in that part of the city.
He said he has to drive several miles to get to other grocery stores. He said GG could become his first choice for groceries, depending on its prices and offerings.
“It looks like it’s well stocked, and I loved the greeters in the front, and it’s clean and roomy,” he said. “It looks like it has almost everything.”
“It’s my first time here, and I’ll have to do some comparable shopping,” he said.
The facility has about 1,000 square feet of pharmacy space (ZIKS Family Pharmacy), and Kettering Health has a full-service primary care office that occupies about 3,000 square feet.
Kettering Health will have about 11 staff, including three providers, and its space includes six exam rooms and offices. More than 100 clients are signed up for appointments next week.
ZIKS pharmacy is planning to be up and running by GG’s grand opening next month.
This project takes up about six acres of the old school site. The school facilities were demolished, leaving vacant land.
Homefull is in the planning process for redeveloping the remaining 10 acres into new affordable housing units and a childcare center.
About the Author
