NEW GROCERY STORE GETS BIG WELCOME IN MIDTOWN

The first thing that Jerry Bridges and Kirk McCain did when they entered the new Save-A-Lot grocery market Wednesday was check prices.

"I've been shopping Save-A-Lot the past three years," said Bridges, of Thebes, Ill. "I know their prices. And, they didn't raise them at the new store here."

The new store, located near the intersection of William and Sprigg, opened at 8 a.m. Wednesday with more than 12,000 square feet of shopping space. The store will maintain 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. hours seven days a week.

"It's great," said McCain, of Thebes. "It's neat, it's clean."

Bridges and McCain were just two of the many grocery shoppers who stopped by the new store on opening day.

"I'm glad it's here," said Jesse Henderson, who said the store was within walking distance of her home. "It's great to have a grocery market in the area."

The Midtown area has been without a grocery since July 1997, when Schnucks closed its Midtown store after purchasing the building from Del Farm two years earlier.

Cape Girardeau's previous two Save-A-Lot stores were closed this week in preparation for the new market. Heartland Save-A-Lot at 19 N. Spanish was closed at the end of the business day Tuesday, and the Save-A-Lot near Broadway and Kingshighway closed earlier in the week.

Both were operated by Maevers Food Inc. of Jackson.

"We've had some busy times here the past few weeks," said Tim Maevers. "We finished everything up about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning for the 8 a.m. opening."

Customers and Midtown businessmen were complimentary of the new store during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon. Among those attending the event were city councilman Tom Neumeyer, Ted Coalter, president of the Haarig Area Development Corp. (HADC), and Kelly Thornton, area district manager for Save-A-Lot Stores, St. Louis Area.

"It's great to see a grocery market back here," said Coalter.

"This is great for the neighborhood," said Thornton. "The Maevers have expanded the produce, frozen foods and meat departments here."

James Williams, a barber at 236 S. Sprigg, said he also was pleased with the store's opening.

"I've been down the street 32 years," said Williams. "I've seen businesses come and go in this area."

Williams, vice president of the HADC, said the area "has a lot going for it now." He was referring to on-going or proposed construction projects in the area, including the new Mississippi River bridge, the new St. Mary Cathedral administration building, the university's River Campus plans, proposed construction of a new federal building, and a new housing development at the old St. Francis Hospital building site.

In addition to the Cape Girardeau Save-A-Lot, Maevers Food operates three other grocery stores: Sikeston Save-A-Lot, Jackson Save-A-Lot and Schaper's IGA at Jackson. Maevers Food employs about 150 people, with more than a third of the jobs full time.

"We employ about 25 to 30 people at the new Cape stores," said Tim Maevers.

The store will occupy about half of the 36,000-square-foot structure. The retail sales area will cover about 12,000 square feet.

The other half of the building is expected to house another retail operation which will be announced later, said Thomas M. Meyer of Thomas L. Meyer Realtors, which handled the lease agreement. Meyer participated at the ribbon-cutting event.

Until July 26, 1997, a supermarket had been in business 38 years at 121 S. Sprigg. National Food opened a 12,600-square-foot grocery store there in 1959.

Ten years later, National expanded to 22,600 square feet. In 1977, construction started on an expanded National supermarket just north of the former building, and in 1978 a 33,000-square-foot National supermarket with 170-car parking lot opened.

In 1995, Schnucks Markets Inc. purchased the Del-Farm National chain from Loblaw Companies Ltd. of Toronto, Canada.

Save-A-Lot started with three stores in 1977 and now has more than 700 stores in the United States.

The Maevers family has been involved in the grocery business almost a half century. Lester Maevers was in the grocery business 47 years, starting when he was 15 years old. He retired when he was 62, selling his interest to his two sons -- Tim Maevers, president and a co-owner, and Jim Maevers.

Maevers Food Inc. was formed when Heartland Warehouse Foods Inc., and Schaper's Foods Inc. merged in January 1998.

Tim Maevers has been involved in the family business for more than 25 years, starting as a carryout at Schaper's IGA, then moving through management jobs with all the stores.

Jim Maevers also started as a carryout at Schaper's IGA. Following high school, he served in the Marines for four years. He worked with Telex Corp. of Tulsa, Okla., five years before returning to the family business in 1987.

The Maevers entered the Cape Girardeau grocery market with the opening of their Save-A-Lot stores in 1989.