CENTERVILLE -- Enormous squid worthy of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," bottled water from Fiji and half the nations of Europe, cheveux d'ange au melange de legumes -- the newly remodeled Albertson's in Centerville has it.
After seven months of work and a complete transformation, the store, 84 W. Parrish Lane, had a grand reopening last week to unveil its new, upscale look and stronger emphasis on convenience foods.Among the market's new features: 8,000 more square feet of display space, a coffee and ice cream bar, a home meal replacement center, a meat and fish counter that is twice as big as before and a completely new natural food section with everything from organic pasta to organic vitamins. That's where one will find the cheveux d'ange au melange de legumes, more commonly known as angel hair pasta with vegetable medley.
"I asked for a new pharmacy, and my vice president gave me a new store," said Jan Hyatt, the store's director. "I think it went very well, although we had some bumps and bruises."
The transformation of Albertson's third largest store in Utah extended to the building's facade, which used to be a plain rectangle and now features several gables trimmed in blue to mirror the peaks of the Wasatch. The changes also include a brand new refrigeration system.
Albertson's Vice President Ritchie Casteel said the months of renovation cost the store some sales, but the company decided to go ahead with the project "to bring it up to a higher standard and make it our store." Albertson's had purchased the building from another grocery company nine years ago.
At the home meal replacement center, dinners for two are now being sold by the pound. The entries include pork loin, prime rib, turkey and meat loaf. Rotisserie chicken is also a new item.
"The days of cooking meat and potatoes starting from scratch are about gone," said Hyatt.
Carrying out the convenience theme at the meat counter are a series of meats that are cut, dressed, stuffed and "ready to throw on the grill," including stuffed pork chops. For the more adventurous, frog legs are now available. Next door in the fish section are four different kinds of lobster.
Shoppers should also find more convenience in the grouping of related items as "destination categories." These include beverages and snacks, and pharmacy, over-the-counter medications and toiletries.
"It's really nice," said longtime customer Kim Madsen of the renovated store. "It drove us crazy while they were doing it, but we finally know where everything is."