Dallas grocery store ready to open

When the doors open on Monday, Feb.13, at Market Fresh Foods, the first customer through them will be Mary Bianco.

In doing so, she’ll be helping her son fulfil the dream his father had decades ago.

The Bianco famkily has owned land just east of Todd Road in Dallas since the 1960s.

Among plans Paul Bianco had for the land was to some day build a grocery store, an anchor for the community.

His son, Scott, has done that, building the anchor store in the Dallas Towne Centre.

Bianco said there will be an official grand opening later, when the weather is better and the site isn’t as muddy as it is now.

The soft opening will also help deal with any little glitches and “make sure everything is tickety-boo,” Bianco said.

It’s also an area still being developed, as the residential units above the retail space are being finished for expected occupancy next month.

The goal was to open the grocery store last month but that plan was delayed as Bianco waited for equipment for the refrigeration units.

This week has been spent stocking the shelves with non-perishables; the fresh produce will be put out on the weekend.

Bianco is hoping the dollar store in the retail area will also open Saturday, but it could be sometime next week.

A hair salon is also scheduled to open soon.

The store will be full-service, with an on-site butcher cutting all the meats, baker, deli, 32 feet of fresh produce, 16 feet of bagged salads, a 40-foot multi-deck meat case andplenty of refrigerated produce.

The store is affiliated with the Loblaw’s chain, but the goal is to create a location that becomes a hub for Dallas.

“That was my dad’s dream since 1964,” Bianco said.

Construction could begin on a Subway drive-thru — the first of its kind for Kamloops — by

summer, Bianco

said.

The design plans, which were not done when the original development was approved by the city, need to go to city hall for review and approval.

Upstairs, drywalling, painting and detail work is being finished on the 77 strata units, about half of which are sold.

Bianco said he expects owners will start to move in by early March.

After that, a second phase is planned, but Bianco said he’ll wait and see how the first phase progresses before deciding on timing for the next step.