FOOD GIANT REMODELING STORE ON KINGSHIGHWAY

Food Giant in Cape Girardeau is getting a new look.

The 17,000-square-foot grocery at 1120 N. Kingshighway is undergoing a facelift, from the new front entrance to the large signage along the Kingshighway end of the building, to interior remodeling.

Inside, shoppers can already find an expanded perishables department, which will be further expanded into the meat department.

"We've added double entrance doors at the entrance to the store," said store manager Mike Recker. "We are placing our carts outside the building, which provides us with some additional space inside."

The new signage, "Shop Where Your Neighbors Are the Owners," reminds customers of the employees' recent purchase of Food Giant.

Employees now own 100 percent of the company. Last March Food Giant's 81 stores were sold to an employee stock ownership plan or ESOP by Ken Storey, the company's founder. The ESOP provides for employees to share in the ownership of the company.

"We're excited about the remodeling," said Recker. "In future weeks, we'll be installing new refrigerator cases."

Because of the ESOP move in March, Food Giant has acquired and renamed the former Schaper's IGA Foodliner at Jackson, Mo.

The ESOP has stores in Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida.

The local Food Giant is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.