Schulte's Fresh Foods in Jefferson City is nearly finished with an interior facelift that includes new paint, signs, floors and lighting.
"We're excited about it, and we feel it will be as nice a store as you can find anywhere in the area," co-owner John Schulte said.
He said store officials tossed around the idea last fall, originally thinking they would freshen up the store with a fresh coat of paint and some extra lighting. But after working with a design team with Associated Wholesale Grocers in Kansas City, they came up with a plan, and "we just went all out."
They've painted the ceilings, put new flooring in the food court, upgraded old florescent tube lights with energy-efficient LED lighting and put up new decor on the walls, including new signs to draw customers to the different departments in the store.
The renovations won't affect the products, prices or staffing at the store, Schulte said. But he said the store is also giving additional training to staff to emphasize customer service.
He said 80 percent of the work is done, and that work is being done at night to affect the fewest customers possible. The project should be finished by the end of April, Schulte said.
"It's like doing any kind of remodel ... you really don't know what it's going to look like until it's put together," he said. "But it's exceeded my expectations."
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