CHICAGO, April 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Food 4 Less, the nation's leading price-impact supermarket chain, continues to make good on its promise to bring jobs, charitable giving and the finest in service, quality, variety and every day low prices to Chicago. Food 4 Less will celebrate the grand opening of its newest store in Chicago's Austin neighborhood on Sunday, April 27 at 8 a.m.
The new 58,020 square-foot Food 4 Less is located at 4821 West North Avenue in the Washington Square Shopping Center. It will be open to serve customer needs daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.
"We are very excited to cast a vote of confidence in Chicago's Austin neighborhood with this major investment in the community," said Jeff Albrecht, Vice President & General Manager for Food 4 Less' Midwest Division. "At our new Austin Food 4 Less, our goal is to offer customers the best selection and the highest quality foods at an exceptional value."
The new store is expected to help boost the area's economic vitality and attract additional investment and development to the Austin community. The new Food 4 Less is the first supermarket to open in Austin in many years. The store is opening in a building formerly occupied by Grand Mart and Cub Foods.
The new Austin Food 4 Less store will employ more than 140 people, of which more than 100 are from the immediate community. More than 1,000 people applied for positions at the new store.
Chicago Alderman Emma Mitts, 37th Ward, applauded Food 4 Less for investing in Austin with the opening of its newest store.
"As we work to improve business and employment opportunities in the Austin community, we need to make sure that local retail resources are aligned with our priorities," said 37th Ward Alderman Emma Mitts, honoring the April 24th grand opening of grocery retailer Food 4 Less in the Washington Square shopping center on North Avenue.
"In many ways, Austin has long been underserved with respect to grocery stores. That's why it's vitally important that we establish local partnerships with retail chains such as Food 4 Less. Today we are pleased to share this journey to empowerment for jobs and economic development, which will greatly benefit the residents of Chicago's Austin community," continues Mitts, who has long advocated a diversity of options for her constituents.
"It's encouraging when major businesses demonstrate their commitment to the neighborhood, and this allows us to steadily move forward, despite the current economic climate. In conclusion, we are proud to partner with Food 4 Less, and welcome their expansion in the City of Chicago," added Alderman Mitts.
Alderman Mitts played an instrumental role in bringing Food 4 Less to Austin.
"Food 4 Less received tremendous support from Alderman Mitts and her staff, which helped make the opening of our new store possible," said Food 4 Less General Manager Albrecht.
Albrecht also praised the City of Chicago's Department of Planning & Development for its support and assistance in the opening of the Food 4 Less Austin store. Food 4 Less hopes to open many more stores in the City of Chicago with the City's continued support.
To celebrate the opening of the Austin Food 4 Less, the store will make donations totaling $5,000 to Alfred Nobel and Brian Piccolo Elementary Schools. The store will also have a budget to give donations away locally throughout the year. Organizations interested in receiving funding can contact the store for details.
Albrecht welcomed the opportunity to assist the community.
"Food 4 Less takes an active role in every community we serve," he said. "It is our intention to be a good corporate citizen in Austin. We will remain open to new ways to meet community needs and to participate in neighborhood improvement projects."
Austin Food 4 Less shoppers are sure to enjoy Store Director John Kaminiszan. Kaminiszan boasts 12 years of experience in the grocery industry. He most recently managed the Food 4 Less store in Evanston.
"We are thrilled with the opportunity to bring quality grocery services and jobs to the residents of Austin," said Kaminiszan, who began his career as an hourly Customer Service Clerk in 1995. "We're sure that customers will enjoy the great selection of groceries, as well as all of the added services we will be offering at our new store."
Customers visiting the new Austin store will experience the best that Food 4 Less has to offer, including an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish and poultry, and a grocery department stocked with thousands of products at Food 4 Less' low everyday prices.
In the spirit of offering shoppers a true, one-stop-shopping experience, the new Food 4 Less will also feature several specialty departments, including a service delicatessen/bakery offering a complete selection of salads, deli meats and cheeses, sandwiches-to-go, party trays, and freshly prepared take-out meals, as well as fresh breads, cookies, rolls, pies and custom-decorated cakes for all occasions.
Shoppers on a budget will also enjoy the store's large club pack section and "Wall of Values" area featuring many name brand products at special discounted prices. The store also carries a wide selection of ethnic foods.
To serve shoppers, the store boasts 14 check stands and offers a wide range of special services, including postage stamps, film developing, motorized shopping carts for customers with mobility impairments and specially-designed shopping carts with infant carriers. The store also has been outfitted with state-of-the-art energy efficient equipment and lighting, and environmentally safe refrigeration.
"We believe our new Austin Food 4 Less store offers everything and more of what customers are looking for in a supermarket," said Albrecht. "Best of all, at Food 4 Less we offer it all at the lowest prices in town."
The new Austin store is the third Food 4 Less store to open in the City of Chicago. Food 4 Less' Midwest Division, located in Burbank, also operates stores in Chicago's "Back of the Yards" and Englewood neighborhoods. The new Austin store is the 13th Food 4 Less to open in the greater Chicagoland Area since 2002.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Food 4 Less operates 146 price-impact, warehouse-format supermarkets in California, Nevada, Illinois and Indiana. Food 4 Less is a division of The Kroger Co., , one of the nation's largest grocery retailers, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
