SPRINGFIELD, MA – Big Y Foods, Inc. is pleased to announce the completion of renovations totaling over $13 million at 3 Hampshire County, Massachusetts locations. Big Y World Class markets at 175 University Drive in Amherst and at 136 North King Street in Northampton along with the Big Y Express Gas and Convenience store at 73 Russell Street in Hadley have all completed extensive remodels as part of the company’s investment in this area. On Wednesday, May 3, all 3 locations will hold a grand re-opening celebration.
The May 3rd grand re-opening festivities start out at Big Y Express at 9:30 AM followed by Official cake cutting ceremonies at 10:00 AM in Amherst and 11:30 AM in Northampton. At the World Class Markets, complimentary samples of Big Y’s celebration cake, coffee & donuts along with store-wide product such as sushi, hot soups, super chicken tenders, World classics turkey, Berkshire breads, new cheese’s, chicken salad and more will continue throughout the week. Local and state officials are expected to participate.
Big Y Express
As part of an almost $900,000 upgrade, the Big Y Express fuel station in Hadley boasts several cosmetic and functional renovations. A new red metal roof sits atop the building, overlooking a spruced up exterior with fresh landscaping. Inside, customers can find upgraded restrooms, a self-service fresh foods case, and new de?cor. The major upgrade to the car wash began in July of last year and recently finished with the installation of an auto-pay system. Other new components to the car wash include a hot wax application, wheel blaster, LED tunnel lighting, tire shiner, triple foamer, vision clear, and 5 new free vacuums. The car wash is open daily from 7 AM to 7 PM, while the station is open from 5 AM to 11-PM.
Their Wednesday 5/3 celebration will include free coffee, $5 car washes and car wash gift card raffles. Pam Barrett manages at this location along with car wash manager, Cliff Jensen.
Big Y Express in Hadley was acquired by Big Y in December 2015 along with 2 other former O’Connell Convenience Plus stations in Wilbraham and Longmeadow. The store is open from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM every day.
Amherst Big Y World Class Market
Big Y’s Amherst World Class Market’s $3 million plus renovation features a brand new Living Well Eating Smart area featuring all natural, organic and gluten free foods and a ready to eat chicken wing bar. A stir-fry station was also installed which allows customers to order a hot, personalized stir-fry to be enjoyed on the go or at the store’s brand new cafe? area. Redesigned to have more of a “coffee house” feel, the new cafe? now offers phone and computer charging stations to encourage customers to relax and enjoy the many food and drink options available. A newcomer to the cafe? section is “The Local Bean”, a station showcasing Rao’s Coffee, a local coffee bean roasting company. Other upgrades in the Amherst store include a relocated and rebuilt floral department, upgraded fixtures in produce and bakery, new cases in meat and seafood, and new de?cor throughout.
Big Y in Amherst originally opened on September 17, 1998. The store’s most recent remodel was in 2005, which cost $1.1 million. The store is 54,754 square feet and employs 170.
Amherst resident and store director, Doug George will continue to manage this location. George has been with Big Y since 1984. His previous positions included Quality Circles Representative and Manager of Facilities Management before he settled in as a store director in 1995, a position he has held ever since. George started out as a bagger with Star Market in 1969. His supermarket experience spans six decades.
Northampton Big Y World Class Market
Big Y’s $7 million investment in their Northampton World class Market also features the all-new Living Well Eating Smart section, which offers hundreds of organic, natural and gluten free products in grocery, health and beauty, dairy and frozen foods, freshly ground nut butters and an ample selection of bulk dry foods. The wine, beer, and liquor sections have been united into a dedicated Table & Vine location in the center of this store. An all-new chicken wing bar has also been installed to further enhance the store’s lineup of freshly prepared foods. Additional add-ons include an upgraded bakery coffee bar and updated produce displays. Cosmetic enhancements such as new de?cor and interior paint make the store feel fresh and regenerated.
Big Y in Northampton originally opened on March 8, 1960. The store’s most recent remodel was a major rebuild in 2007, which cost $20 million. The store is 65,528 square feet and has 17 total grocery/refrigerated aisles. The store is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day.
Piotr Soja will continue as Northampton’s store director. Soja has worked with Big Y for 22 years. He started as a service clerk while in high school before moving to the meat department and working his way up to meat manager and then a meat and seafood merchandiser/trainer. From there he went into the store director training program. Last year, Soja was chosen by the Food Marketing Institute as one of 5 top grand prize winners for 2015 in their 17th Annual Store Manager Awards. The Northampton store currently employs over 200 people.
As part of these Grand Reopening celebrations, all 14 schools in Amherst, Hadley & Northampton will each receive a donation to reflect Big Y’s longstanding commitment to education. Big Y’s programs include an annual merit scholarship program that has awarded over $3 million since 1984, store tours for schoolchildren, and support of many local educational programs.
Source: Big Y