UNADILLA, Ga. — The only grocery store in Unadilla reopened Wednesday. The Piggly Wiggly had to close for a month due to health code violations. Management blamed major problems with the refrigeration system.
New manager Joe Wallace took over the store nearly a month ago. He says they originally planned to reopen two weeks ago, but the store faced flooding from the recent storms.
Dollean Fields, who's legally blind, missed walking one mile to her local Piggly Wiggly. Now, she's thrilled with the reopening.
Last month, customers reported problems including expired food, insects, and lack of overall cleanliness.
Fields says when the store closed, "Ugh, man, it was awful. I tell you what, I'll tell you how awful it was. I would have came and worked here for free. You had to go way out of town for an egg, meat, no meat, period," said Fields.
Fields says she had to go to Vienna to get basic groceries.
"I stopped cooking meat, stopped cooking it because I really couldn't get it, so that's basically what I was doing, like stuff from the dollar store or Family Dollars or Dollar General. I would go ahead and shop and get something quick like that," said Fields.
The owners decided the place needed major changes, starting with management and all employees. Manager Joe Wallace says come see for yourself.
"Everyone that's in this community, stay in this community and shop here. instead of having to travel to Perry or Vienna," said Wallace.
Fields says it's so clean, you could eat off the floor.
"I was blown away. It is beautiful, it looks amazing -- it looks like Walmart. Yes, it does, so this is our Walmart, too," said Fields.
Wallace says he wants to regain the trust of the community, and hopes everyone will shop local.