Despite pandemic setbacks and funding obstacles, a grocery store will be opening later this week in Downtown Port Huron. Steve Fernandez of Country Style Marketplace says the doors to their new location at the corner of Huron and Grand River Avenues will open to the public at 11am Friday. Speaking to WPHM, Fernandez described the occasion as a “soft opening” and asked for the public’s patience as they continue to add inventory and train their staff.
“We just need to get a basic grocery store open and going. We will focus on more of the (hot food) items as we get further down the road, like in April and May,” said Fernandez. He plans to offer prepared meals for take out for both lunch and dinner.
A grand opening for the store is being planned for early April. The new location will include many of the same products and brands available at their Fort Gratiot location including a produce section, deli counter, and meat counter. Additionally, there will be a beer and wine cellar which remains under construction but is expected to be ready in time for next month’s grand opening.
Fernandez and his wife Michelle Jones purchased the the former Woolworth’s building that was most recently a furniture store in 2018. Funding to rehabilitate the vacant building wasn’t secured however until late 2020, with the couple receiving grants and loans from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Capital Impact Partners. Fernandez says the project was estimated to cost $2.6 million but due to inflation and material shortages, the project is expected to cost over $3.2 million.
“As we got going, the prices on everything started going up,” said Fernandez. “It really got dicey near the end when lumber jumped up to ridiculously high prices, and there’s a lot of lumber in this building. We were lucky to get this finished out in a timely manner.”
The downtown location will be open seven days a week from 11am to 6pm, with Fernandez saying he expects the hours to be expanded at a later date. There will be no plastic bags offered at the store, with customers being encouraged to bring their own reusable bag or to use provided paper bags. Carts will be available inside the store but will not be let outside. Instead, Fernandez says they will have a dedicated loading area near the exit and are exploring the idea of providing curbside service.
