Newsletters: July - August 2007

« Back to Newsletter

Ownership Meeting and Expansion Report

By Cristin Burns

This year's Annual Ownership Meeting, held Saturday, June 23, 2007 at the Tallahassee Garden Club, highlighted another year of success. New deli manager, Brian Baisch, orchestrated a fresh summer menu with sandwiches, wraps, salads and soups. Attendees ate while enjoying the sounds of The Humbell, a local band comprised entirely of New Leaf Market employees.

The meeting began with a quick introduction by Board President Chuck Hungerford, a financial report from Dave Watson, board treasurer, and General Manager Larrane Hartridge, highlighted the store's accomplishments for the 2006-2007 fiscal year.

New Leaf Market's plans can be summed up in one word-expansion. Cristin Burns, project manager, presented the store design to the owners. The store plan was designed by a grocery consultant and a deli/kitchen consultant, both who specialize in natural food stores. The renovation and expansion will increase the store's size from 9,200 square feet to 13,300.

The new store will feature a large entrance with a foyer and double doors. This will allow carts to be stored inside, in addition to regulating the temperature in the store. Produce will remain the first thing you see upon entering the store, followed by the bulk department. Bulk herbs will be moved from their current location in wellness to join the rest of the bulk inventory. Refrigerated items will line the perimeter and wrap around the back corner. New Leaf Market's first ever meat and seafood department will line 20 feet of the back wall. The frozen section will lead into the deli area. The deli service counter will line the left wall of the store with seating in the front left corner. The seating area will enjoy natural light. A large self-serve bar with both hot and cold items will increase the convenience of purchasing deli food. Beer and wine, cheese, olives, bread, drinks and Grab 'n Go will share the left perimeter with the deli.

The interior of the store will house wellness and packaged grocery. The wellness department will include a dedicated service counter and lower shelves. Two registers will be added for a total of seven.

The back of the house will see a complete make-over. The kitchen will be moved along with the deli counter, drastically increase in size and have a dedicated cooler and freezer. The meat and produce departments will also have their own prep rooms and coolers. An employee break room will be added to the office area and the stock room entrance will be moved to the back of the store. Relocating the loading zone should alleviate traffic congestion along the side of the building.

Many owners have asked if the new store will be environmentally-friendly. The management team is dedicated to building as green as possible within the $2.7 million dollar budget allocated for the project. The design team has agreed that the area where the most impact can be made is energy efficiency. New equipment, the double doors and lighting will save significant energy costs. Low VOC (volatile organic compound) paint will used in the interior of the store and green options will be considered whenever possible.

Construction is scheduled to begin in August or September and will be completed in phases. The store will remain open throughout the construction process, although certain departments may be temporarily out of service as items are shifted to make room for construction. The project will take anywhere from six to nine months to complete. As further decisions are made, the information will be shared using in-store displays, website updates and newsletter articles.