A brand new FreshCo franchise opened Thursday morning and is the first grocery store in the Cobblestone area of Grande Prairie.
Local franchise owner Jeff Dyck and his team of 90 employees were on hand for the grand opening. He says he couldn’t be happier with the response they received.
“Mayor [Jackie] Clayton was at the store and joined us this morning and she was very grateful for the store coming to the Cobblestone area in the city,”
Dyck says owning a business isn’t just about checks and balances, suggesting that being involved in the community and giving back is very important.
“My wife and I have the passion and commitment to lead the business and lead our store team. We are all about engaging various areas of the community and we kicked off our grand opening with a $2,500 donation to the Salvation Army Community Kitchen. Their kettle drive was on hand at our store today,” he says. “Our produce offerings are second to none and our engagement in the community is second to none. We are very proud of those two elements.”
Dyck adds that the COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge for the hiring process, but he is really thrilled with how everything played out.
“About 30 to 60 days ago, we started kicking things off with an in-person hiring fair. We were able to go to the Pomeroy Hotel and have one-on-one interviews that were in total compliance with COVID-19 precautions. We saw over 300 people take part in the fair over three days,” he says. “We feel that allowed us to engage with the community and workforce, of which many are coming from the Cobblestone area of the city.”