NEW STORE NOW OPEN!

New store opens with community celebration
By Alan Weisberg

Months, really years, of anticipation came to a head last Tuesday night, May 29, when hundreds of BriarPatch members showed up for a special preview opening. Long live our beautiful new store!

In some ways it was like a cocktail party without the cocktails, seeing old friends and engaging in fragmented conversations, all the while strolling through the aisles and munching on the free goodies. And yes, the registers were plenty busy.

I watched our great staff put everything together over the past few weeks, and what a job they did. The image that stands out for me is Manny, our head cook from the deli. For weeks I watched him work behind a computer in the offices of the old store, ordering equipment and provisions. Then one day I wandered into the new store's kitchen on the first day Manny was cooking-for staff and construction workers-and suddenly the fish was back in water. This new store was for real!

Without even seeking them out, I managed to have conversations that evening with some of the people that made it possible for the little-co-op-that-could to flower into the lovely store you are now able to visit daily, if you are like me. I refer to Charlie Litton, whose property the store now sits on, Judy Hess, whose bank provided the core financing, Jeff Gold, our stellar architect, and Greg Francis, who provided the glue among all these parties. Except for Jeff, I don't think any of them have been regular BriarPatch shoppers in the past. It was clear from their comments to me that they will be now.

In anticipation of the new store, we hired about as many people in the past few months as we already had on board. These new people are being integrated into the BriarPatch spirit. Speaking for At the opening ceremony held May 29, Board President Joseph Guida led the crowed in a moment of silence and a big cheer for the new store. the Board, I can say that we are indebted to the veterans for helping take us to where we are now, and happy to see them flourish in their new digs.

Finally, I want to pay a special tribute to Paul Harton, our General Manager. About halfway through the opening evening, I saw Paul out front emptying the trash cans. He really has done whatever was needed in the past couple of years to make the new store the community asset we all dreamed of.

Alan Weisberg is a Director on the BriarPatch Board.