The long awaited reopening of the only grocery store in Lion's Head will take place Thursday morning.
Hellyer's Foodland in Lion's Head will reopen its doors at about 8 a.m. following a $1.5 million fire August 29, 2023, that closed the store for nearly a year.
"There's a ribbon cutting and a re-grand opening kind of happening that's going to be formal outside the store prior to opening the doors," Owner Kara Hellyer explained. "There's going be some giveaways and some raffles and, and some cake, and some coffee."
Hellyer pointed out the interior had to be entirely replaced after the blaze gutted the old building.
"We've done a total store reno," she added. "So basically, we have an entire gutted store turned into a whole new store. So we're talking roofs to ceilings, to windows, to floors, to walls, to freezers and coolers, and shelving."
Hellyer said they endured a few months of "thumb twiddling" and then waiting for contractors decisions, structure approvals, and lots of planning. That was followed by the non-stop revolving door of renovations.
"So getting ready for the summer season has been kind of our focus this year," she continued. "My husband, Kyle, has been kind of the general contractor, or just kind of the general, who's been getting this ship moving, and he's done a really good job."
Hellyer thanked the community and staff for their support.
"It affected us, obviously, and the staff," she stated. "It's been a huge community thing, for sure. So everyone's just as excited as us. So it's been a pretty humbling experience without a doubt."
The fifth generation store has been serving Lion's Head for 115 years.
"We're welcoming back to public to the store," said Hellyer. "So everything is back to kind of usual. Regular departments are all open. Everything's full."