Iola’s G&W Foods grocery store may be the chain’s most architecturally expressive — “our Taj Mahal,” Chris O’Hara, company general manager, called it — but “we’re just down-to-earth, shaking-hands and kissing-babies kind of people.”
O’Hara and Tom True, district manager, gave Iola Rotarians an update on the new Iola store Thursday.
“We’re going to open in about a month,” O’Hara said. “We had hoped for the 28th or 29th (of December) but that’s not going to happen.”
The hold-up came about when a key refrigeration unit arrived damaged. The straps to secure the unit were apparently wound too tight and mashed its coils, O’Hara said. A new unit arrived Friday. Also, “all the refrigeration cases are in, the floor’s polished and we got in our first load of groceries this week.”
To date, 40 people have been hired from two job fairs that attracted 155 applicants. “We need about 50 people. We’re still looking for a meat cutter who has experience, as well as produce and meat managers,” O’Hara said.
O’Hara and True began their careers in the grocery business as teenagers.
Those on board will start training at G&W stores in Chanute and Yates Center.
Daniel Gile will manage the Iola store, moving from Neodesha’s G&W, which he has managed since July 2016. He and wife Kim have two sons, a sophomore and a fifth-grader, and a daughter, in sixth grade.
While he plans to be in Iola shortly, Gile said he was unsure when his family would move. “It will depend on what we can find” in terms of housing, he said.
Iola’s will be G&W’s 37th store, with the others scattered throughout the Kansas-Missouri-Arkansas area. Not all bear the G&W name. Among others are Apple Market and Cash Saver.
“We’re one of the fastest growing independent groceries in the area,” O’Hara noted.
Emphasis is on fresh departments — produce and meats — and service. “If we were to depend just on (packaged) groceries, that big blue box (Walmart) would beat us. We’re never going to beat Walmart prices, so we have to have quality food and better personal service. We empower our employees to take care of customers,” and have shelves and cases stocked with “food you’d want to take home to grandma.”
Variety is a G&W standard, as well as presentation. Employees often patrol aisles to ensure a neat appearance including outward facing labels and within easy reach. Healthy eating is another company priority, O’Hara said. “We promote that and even work recipes into our ads,” including those posted on the company website. “We offer organic and gluten-free foods. And, you’ll find only USDA choice beef and all-natural pork in our meat cases.”
The Iola store will be open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
G&W DATES to September 1981 when its first store opened in Willow Springs, Mo. The original store continues, and is “about the size of this Pizza Hut,” where Rotarians meet. “Our corporate offices also are in Willow Springs.”
The Iola store is one of four G&W has built, others having been acquired. With Iola’s 50 employees, the company’s total will reach 900.
An aside that has re-engaged major construction here is expansion of the parking lot. A generous portion of green space was to have been along the south edge, bordering Madison Avenue, “but without that as parking we wouldn’t have had enough,” O’Hara said.
The store is at the intersection of First and Madison-East streets, facing south and on property that held Allen County Hospital. Joint efforts of Allen County, Iola, Thrive Allen County’s economic development arm and Iola Industries brought G&W to Iola.
PHOTO: Don Rosebrough, with Associated Wholesale Grocers, fills a shelf with health and beauty products Friday morning at Iola’s G&W Foods store, which is expected to open in early January. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
