The Kroger Co. held a grand opening celebration Aug. 13 for a new Kroger Marketplace store at 175 Peachtree Exchange Blvd. in Hoschton, Georgia.
Kroger employees and leadership, city leaders, state and county officials gathered with the local community for an opening morning celebration. The event featured the Jackson County High School marching band, Krogis and other mascots and opening speeches by Hoschton Mayor Debbie Martin and Kroger Atlanta Division President Victor Smith, among others.
Kroger 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 on Aug. 13 received $25 Kroger gift cards, and the line extended past the building shortly before 8 a.m., when the store opened to the public. Additionally, customers received free samples as they walked throughout the store, courtesy of Mondelez International, Milo’s Tea Company and Little Debbie, among others.
The new Hoschton Kroger store represents a $40 million investment, encompassing more than 123,000 square feet and will bring more than 250 jobs to the area.
“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.”
In keeping with Kroger’s commitment to building Zero Hunger | Zero Waste communities, Kroger contractors and partners recycled more than 96.33 percent of construction waste, preventing it from going into landfills.
Also during the grand opening celebration, The Kroger Co. presented checks to three local schools and a $5,000 check to iServe Ministries, a local nonprofit whose mission is to “end generational poverty in the communities we serve through meeting practical needs and teaching life skills.” The nonprofit regularly holds mobile food pantries in Northeast Georgia, as well as delivers backpacks of food to 22 schools in the community.
In addition to Kroger’s popular 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.
The store also includes a pharmacy with a drive-thru.
Smith also confirmed Kroger’s Atlanta Division is opening another new Marketplace store in Bethlehem, Georgia, later this year, and the division recently broke ground on a new Kroger Marketplace in Locust Grove, Georgia.
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