Wegmans' Newest Store in Gainesville, VA Opens on Sunday, November 2
For Release:
10/24/2008
Contact Information: Jo Natale, director of media relations, 585-429-3627
GAINESVILLE, VA - The doors to Wegmans’ 72nd store, located in the Shops at Stonewall, 8297 Stonewall Shops Square in Gainesville, VA will open at 7 a.m. on Sunday, November 2. This marks the second Wegmans store for Prince William County. The first, located in Woodbridge, opened in June of this year.
A few minutes before 7 a.m. on opening day, store employees will gather in the entryway of the new store to do the Wegmans cheer, a long-standing tradition that precedes each opening.
Store Manager Mike Dempsey is ready to lead a team of 600 employees to deliver on the company’s promise to its customer: “Helping you make great meals easy.” Dempsey first joined Wegmans in 1994 as a part-time employee at the company’s Ithaca, NY store. He moved with his family to Virginia in 2003 to prepare for the opening of Wegmans’ Dulles store.
Dempsey and his team leaders have been busy for months screening and interviewing to hire the team of people who will run the store. “We feel great about the people we’ve hired,” he says. When the store opens, one of his main responsibilities will be coaching those people: “I want to put all of my people in their best moment, to perform at their highest level. I think you do that by understanding a person’s strengths, and working toward them.”
Treat employees with care and respect, Dempsey believes, and they’ll treat customers with that same care and respect. It’s the “Golden Rule” of great customer service, to both your employees and customers.
When asked what might surprise new customers about Wegmans, Dempsey points to the supermarket chain’s consistent, low prices. “Even folks who’ve never shopped with us seem to know that we offer incredible customer service, the freshest ingredients, and great selection. The most pleasant surprise might be our consistent, low prices. And because saving money is now so important to everyone, they will appreciate our selection of club pack products.”
The 140,000 sq. ft. store will be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. until midnight. The store’s Market Café offers restaurant-quality foods prepared by Executive Chef Kris Chase and his staff. Everything from specialty coffee drinks to hot panini sandwiches, an Asian-inspired Wokery Bar, freshly-made sushi, pizza, and subs are available in the café. Customers can choose to take out or dine in at the mezzanine-level café, with indoor and outdoor seating for more than 500. There’s also a Seafood Bar that seats 12, where chefs prepare fresh seafood dishes made to order.
So, does anything worry Mike Dempsey? “We are ready in every way possible,” he says with confidence. “My only concern is remembering to change the clock before I go to bed the night before – it’s Daylight Saving Time on November 2.”
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Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a 72-store supermarket chain with stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. The family-owned company, founded in 1916, is recognized as an industry leader and innovator. Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for eleven consecutive years. In 2008, Wegmans ranked #3 on the list.
