Rochester, NY, 2016-Nov-20 — /EPR Retail News/ —
WHAT: Celebrate the completion of the Perinton Wegmans expansion at our Near Our Stores event
WHEN: Saturday, November 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with family fun activities from noon to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Perinton Wegmans, 6600 Pittsford-Palmyra Road
Rochester, N.Y. – It’s official. The long-awaited Perinton Wegmans expansion and remodel is now complete. With 31,300 additional square feet, the new and improved Perinton Wegmans has a lot in store for customers who have graciously endured the 18-month project that has resulted in an expansive store that bears little resemblance to the one that stood there last May.
The project brings the total size of the store to 122,000 square feet and includes parking lot improvements, a new façade and clock tower; expanded fresh food departments, including produce, prepared foods, bakery, cheese, and meat to name a few; a larger Market Café offering three times the seating, including a children’s seating area and the Timber Room with a cozy fireplace; the addition of The Pub; and updates and enhancements to every department throughout the store.
“We essentially built a new store around our customers while they shopped,” said Perinton Wegmans Service Manager Eric Zonnevylle. “In a lot of ways, it would have been easier and faster to complete the project if we closed the doors, but our customers told us they wanted the store to stay open, so we listened.”
With the remodel now complete, there are plenty of new and exciting features and products waiting for Perinton shoppers:
Produce. A new fresh cut veggie section offers a wide variety of cleaned and fresh cut vegetables, making eating and cooking with vegetables easier than ever before.
Cheese Shop. With the addition of a new misting cheese case, Perinton customers have access to a larger selection of perfectly ripened cheeses straight from the Wegmans Cheese Caves. This holiday season, try our Affidélice, Wegmans 1916 Aged Goat Cheese, Cremeux de Bourgogne with Truffles, and Holiday in Italy.
Bakery. The expanded bakery offers a larger selection of whole-grain loaves, and crusty artisan European-style breads, not to mention delicious desserts like mini pastries and whole grain cookies.
Meat. A new in-house climate-controlled dry-aging cooler takes Wegmans’ Angus Beef to the next level of unrivaled juiciness, buttery tenderness and intense flavor. The expanded meat department also boasts a wide variety of organic meats with more than 90 choices.
Beer Shop. Craft beer enthusiasts will love the expanded Beer Shop, now offering over 1,200 varieties of beer, including hundreds of regional and national craft beers.
Pizza Shop. New signature pizzas start with scratch-made dough that’s topped with fresh and artisanal ingredients then quick-fired on volcanic stone and ready to eat in three minutes or less.
Buzz Coffee. The new Buzz coffee features Nitro Cold-Brewed Coffee, slow-steeped for 24 hours and infused with nitrogen to create a one-of-a-kind, creamy, velvety taste.
The Pub by Wegmans. The full-service restaurant features a bar, plus seating for 90. Try our new Wegmans 1916 Lager, brewed exclusively for The Pub by Three Heads Brewing, or our new signature holiday cocktail – a blend of St. Germain Liqueur, Prosecco, sparkling water and a touch of fruit.
Though the remodel has been a long and extensive process, it’s nothing new to Store Manager Tom Culhane, who has managed employees and the customer experience through major remodels a total of three times in his 31-year career with Wegmans.
“I learned to think about keeping the customer at the center of all we do from Robert Wegman when he was leading the company,” said Culhane. “Mr. Wegman always remained grounded with the customer, paying attention, listening to their comments, looking at how they were seeing the store. Retail is a fast-paced environment, but now I strive to recognize when to slow down, pay attention, and listen. When someone makes a request, it might take some creative thinking to come up with the right response – but basically, I’m looking for a way to say ‘yes.’”
Culhane relied heavily on this approach to ensure a good shopping experience for customers over the last 18 months. But he couldn’t do it alone. Culhane and his leadership team depended on every single employee to maintain a high level of customer service and satisfaction.
“We could not have done this without all of our phenomenal employees,” said Perinton Wegmans Employee Representative Robyn Fuenfstueck. “Tom and the management team involved our employees since the very beginning, from putting blueprints in the breakroom, to providing daily updates of upcoming changes. Our employees were then able to pass that information on to our customers, always keeping them in the loop of what to expect next.”
“We can’t thank our customers enough for their patience and understanding throughout the entire process,” said Culhane. “It’s been a long time coming, and we’re excited to share our new and improved store with our customers.”
Near Our Stores Celebration Event
Customers are invited to explore the new store and celebrate the completion of the renovation this Saturday, November 19, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Near Our Stores event, featuring delicious tastes from local and regional suppliers.
- Introduction of Wegmans 1916 Lager. Wegmans has partnered with local craft brewery Three Heads Brewing to create an exclusive beer for Wegmans in celebration of its 100th Anniversary. Aptly named, the Wegmans 1916 Lager is reminiscent of the Vienna Lager – America’s most popular beer style when the company was founded a century ago – but with a modern twist for a malty, richer and more flavorful beer. The Wegmans 1916 Lager will make its debut Saturday and will be available exclusively on draft at the Perinton Pub.
- Tastes from local and regional suppliers. Throughout the store, Wegmans will be featuring local and regional partners. Check out artisan charcuterie from Canandaigua’s Josef Brunner in the deli, Pink Ribbon Oysters from Long Island-based South Bay Seafood, roasted squash soup featuring squash from Mason Farms in Williamson, NY, and Pumpkin Harvest Creamy Goat’s Milk Chèvre from First Light Creamery in East Bethany, NY.
- Family fun activities. From noon to 8 p.m., bring the whole family for a variety of activities including costumed characters, caricatures (noon to 2 p.m.), a magician (3 to 5 p.m.) and live music with the University of Rochester Midnight Ramblers (noon to 1 p.m.) and Laura Dubin (5 to 8 p.m.)
A Capsule History of the Perinton Store
1967 18,000 sq. ft. Perinton store opens, constructed on the same site, but in a different location
1974 A new 54,000 sq. ft. store opens in its current location on the site
1987 Perinton store undergoes an extensive remodel and is expanded to 90,700 sq. ft.
2015 May – construction begins on the 31,300 sq. ft. expansion on the east side of the store, bringing the total size of the building to 122,000 sq. ft.
November – bakery, seafood, meat, the cheese shop, pizza, sushi, old-fashioned subs, and the catering departments open for business within the expanded area of the store. The selection of prepared foods now includes a full line of Asian cuisine and more fresh food bars. Work begins to remodel the existing side of the store, outfitting it with new flooring, ceilings, lighting, HVAC, and refrigeration.
2016 January – The Buzz coffee shop opens and work begins in the produce, deli and floral departments
March – The Pub opens for business.
November – the renovation and expansion is complete.
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 92-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts. The family-owned company, recognized as an industry leader and innovator, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 19 consecutive years, ranking #4 in 2016.
Press Contact:
Tracy Van Auker
Wegmans Media Relations Specialist
585-429-3826
tracy.vanauker@wegmans.com
Source: Wegmans Food Markets
