The Kroger Co. held a grand opening celebration Aug. 13 for a new Marketplace store at 175 Peachtree Exchange Blvd. in Hoschton, Georgia.
The location represents a $40 million investment, encompassing more than 123,000 square feet and bringing more than 250 jobs to the area.
Kroger employees and leadership joined city, county and state officials, as well as residents, for the morning celebration. The event featured the Jackson County High School marching band, Krogis and other mascots and remarks from Hoschton Mayor Debbie Martin and Kroger Atlanta Division President Victor Smith, among others.
Customers entering the store are greeted with a vibrant mural designed by University of Georgia Professor of Art Joseph Norman and the renowned “Color the World Bright” team.
The first 200 people Aug. 13 received $25 Kroger gift cards, with the line extending past the building by 8 a.m. Mondelez International, Milo’s Tea Co. and Little Debbie, among others, provided free samples.
“This is not just a capital investment, it’s a community investment,” Smith said. “We recognize Kroger’s unique role in the communities we serve and are committed to creating positive change and delivering on our purpose to feed the human spirit.”
To mark the occasion, The Kroger Co. presented checks to three local schools and a $5,000 donation to iServe Ministries, a nonprofit whose mission is to “end generational poverty in the communities we serve through meeting practical needs and teaching life skills.” It regularly holds mobile food pantries in Northeast Georgia, as well as delivering backpacks of food to 22 schools.
In addition to Kroger’s standard departments such as floral, bakery, deli, meat and fresh produce, the store includes a variety of features, such as:
- Starbucks;
- Murray’s Cheese;
- Culinary Kiosk;
- Adjacent fuel center;
- Grocery pickup; and
- Kitchen Place.
It also has a pharmacy with a drive-thru.
Kroger said contractors and partners involved in the store project recycled more than 96 percent of construction waste, preventing it from going into landfills.
Smith confirmed Kroger’s Atlanta Division will open another Marketplace store in the nearby town of Bethlehem later this year. It also recently broke ground on a Marketplace in Locust Grove, Georgia.
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We thought Kroger did away with the colored concrete floor in favor of the plain waxed concrete look. Much less floor maintenance at our King Soopers Stores in the Colorado Springs area.