(Enlarge) The new Food Lion in Finksburg held a “soft opening” on July 13, and elicited immediate interest from residents, including Lisa Maher, of Sykesville, who checked out the produce section on her way home from work in Westminster. The arrival of the grocery filled space at the Finksburg Plaza that has been empty since Gateway Market closed in 2008. (Staff photo by Nicole Martyn)

More often than not, the grand opening of a new neighborhood supermarket doesn't rank as an epochal event.

But if you're a community such as Finksburg -- which hasn't had a supermarket within easy driving distance since Gateway Market closed in June 2008 -- it can be a pretty big deal.

Not surprisingly, the July 14 grand opening of a new, 35,000-square-foot Food Lion market in Finksburg Plaza, near the intersection of routes 140 and 91, got quite a bit of attention, most of it positive.

"I'm delighted; it's just a godsend having this here right now," said Finksburg resident and county government employee Carole Hammen, who was one of a few dozen invitees who got a sneak peek at the store July 13, just hours before it's ribbon-cutting and grand opening July 14.

Like many of her fellow Finksburg residents, Hammen, at least until now, had to think twice about making a "quick" run to the market for a half-gallon of milk or a loaf of bread.

Back when Gateway market closed it's doors -- in the same space as the new Food Lion -- the word "quick" fell out of that equation. Since then, buying groceries has meant a drive to either Westminster or Reisterstown, each about 10 minutes away.

Sheila and Gary Redman, of Finksburg, who were checking out the new store during the sneak peek the evening of July 13, were happy to finally have a new grocery alternative.

Sheila works in Glyndon, and said until the coming of Food Lion, her shopping was done in Reisterstown on her way home from work.

"But then, getting back on Route 140 (to return to Finksburg) is a pain," she said. "So, this is going to be much more convenient."

Ten-year Food Lion employee Steven Greenwell manages the new store. He has worked at a half-dozen different stores in the area, including Food Lions in Westminster and Reisterstown.

He said he's gone to great lengths to educate himself about the wants and needs of folks in Finksburg.

"We did a community blitz just to let people know we were coming, and they were really excited about it," Greenwell said as he greeted guests and a trickle of customers who attended the July 13 preview opening.

The new store has about 45 employees. Of these, 35 are new hires, Greenwell said, many of them recruited from the Finksburg community.

"I actually hired a lot of my employees locally," Greenwell said. "I think this store is going to be a staple for the community."

The Finksburg store will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. According to a company release, the Salisbury, N.C.-based Food Lion operates more than 1,300 supermarkets under the Food Lion name, as well as other affiliated names.

Crystal Waddell is an employee at the new store, but she's not a new hire. She's a Food Lion veteran from its Eldersburg location and spent weeks helping to get Finksburg up and running.

She said she's seen nothing but smiles on the faces of customers and visitors.

"Everyone I've talked to is very happy about having this store here," she said.

Carroll County Commissioner Julia Gouge was also on hand July 13, browsing the aisles and visiting with residents.

She said she has seen several previous supermarkets -- most of them independently owned -- come and go in the same retail space in Finksburg Plaza.

"I've been to a lot of ribbon cuttings here," Gouge said with a sigh.

But she's hoping Food Lion will have staying power, and has her fingers crossed that residents, who've grown accustomed to shopping elsewhere, will patronize it.

"Before I came down here this afternoon, I talked to a lot of county employees who live around here, and they all said they couldn't wait for this to open," she said. "They are happy to have it here.

"Now they have a store, and we just have to tell them to come out and support it," Gouge said. "Food Lion is certainly a popular name. Maybe that will make the difference."

Finksburg resident Jim Norman, who was checking out the new store July 13, said he plans on doing his part.

Norman works in Westminster and said until now, he did nearly all of his grocery shopping either there or Eldersburg, about eight miles from his home.

"Now that we have this store, I'll be doing most all my shopping right here," he said with a smile as he pushed his cart slowly past the new shelves and freezer cases. "I'm really glad to have this here."

user comments (1)

user finksburgtoo says...

Now Ms. Gouge maybe you should do something about getting a traffic light at one of the exits from this shopping center. There are three entrances and two exits. Both exits are with 200 feet or so of each other and come out onto Rt 91 which is quite busy at certain times of the day making it next to impossible to get out of the shopping center. That's the main reason I don't stop in there very often. Unless you shop there very early in the a.m. or later in the evening during the week. The weekend traffic is a little better. Leaving this shopping center has been a nusance for years but no one seems to want to do a thing about it.

Posted 8:54 AM, 07.19.10

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