New store adds 115 jobs
Jeremy Isles compares products in the freezer with price tags before putting them over the freezer door at the new Super 1 store in Kalispell. The store opens Wednesday. Nate Chute/Daily Inter Lake
Super 1 Foods will open its new store in Kalispell on Wednesday.
The Hayden Lake, Idaho-based company is opening its fourth store in the Flathead Valley in the former Tidyman's building at N. 55 First Ave. E.
"This building was completely gutted," store manager Dennis Sweeney said. "When we got in here there was only four walls. We're thrilled to have the opportunity to use this building, which unfortunately had sat empty for four years."
Sweeney said total costs of the building renovation are yet unknown.
The new Super 1 was inundated with applications for employment, Sweeney said.
"It was overwhelming," he said of the 800 applications he received. "It was a lot of 10-hour days of interviews."
The new store will create 115 jobs throughout the valley.
Fifty employees from the Whitefish, Columbia Falls and Evergreen stores will move to the new store, but their previous positions will be filled from the 115 new hires. Sixty-five of the new hires will work in the Kalispell store.
The Kalispell store will have a scratch bakery - all products are prepared in the store - instead of "thawed and served" as Sweeney put it. There will be a full-service deli, a produce department, a full-service meat and seafood counter, a beer and wine department, video rentals, a pharmacy, and dairy and frozen sections, as well as health and beauty aids.
There also will be a large organic area.
"We've had quite a few customer requests so we've expanded our naturals and organics," he said.
Sweeney also added that the store will stock some local foods.
Local foods are "always fresher. We do that in our produce and meat departments," he said.
When asked whether the four locations in the valley will compete with each other, Sweeney said that he doesn't think so.
"We've given the consumers here in the valley another place to shop."
He also said that there has been serious consideration given to remodeling the Evergreen store at summer's end.
"We're excited to be here and looking forward to serving the Flathead Valley with a new store," Sweeney said. "It's a good, friendly place to shop."
Reporter K.J. Hascall may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at kjhascall@dailyinterlake.com