Since 1946, Southern Plains Co-op has been a cornerstone of local communities. Today, the organization celebrated the grand opening of its new food store in Carlyle.
Southern Plains Co-op General Manager Brian Enns said the new store is part of the Co-op's efforts to meet community needs and expand operations.
"Some of the things we've done in recent years include building a new grocery store with a convenience gas bar and a liquor store in Oxbow. We've also added a couple more liquor stores, one in Carlyle and one in Estevan," Enns said.
The opening day was busy as community members lined up at 9 a.m. to get a first look at the new store and its expanded offerings.
"Our deli, for example, offers a variety of cheeses and numerous ready-to-go meals to suit everybody's needs. We've added hundreds of items throughout the entire grocery store, and we continue to offer an in-house butcher to custom cut fresh meat," said store manager Stephanie Kuch.
"It was fabulous to see people waiting to get in the door. Now they're here, supporting us, and the people in the community are just awesome," Enns said. "I want to give a great thank you to them all because without them, we wouldn't be doing this."