<p>Wegmans has opened the doors to one of its longest anticipated locations. The Wegmans Food Market on East Avenue was set to open this past Sunday, May 19th after 17 years of planning that included land acquisitions, meetings, addressing customers’ suggestions, and multiple rounds of designs and redesigns.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The new store offers great fresh and prepared foods, more organic choices, a Market Café, and hundreds of trees, flowers, and shrubs that decorate the landscape of the site, according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The 17 years of planning also tailored to the company's goal of creating a store with more of what customers want from a new Wegmans, but with a look and size that complements the neighborhood, much known for its Gilded Age mansions and National Historic Landmarks, the company reports.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Shoppers will notice right off the bat that the 86,900 square foot store has now doubled in size compared to the 43,000 square foot, recently demolished store. The newly available space allows for more fresh food options in departments like produce, seafood, and cheese.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">One unique feature to this innovative Wegmans store is a Fruit and Veggie Market. Here, fresh produce is cleaned, cut, and sold ready-to-prepare, and juices are squeezed fresh. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>“Wegmans is an integral and longstanding member of the Rochester community and this beautiful new market will be a point of pride for neighborhood residents and all of Rochester for years to come,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “I wish to offer my congratulations to the Wegman family for this successful redevelopment and thank them for their many contributions to our city.”</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>On approach, shoppers can take in the new design that offers a landscape of 80 trees, 724 shrubs, and 1,900 perennial and ground-cover plants, as well as a lighted corner clock tower. A lighted 40-foot flag pole will fly the American flag as well as that of the City of Rochester.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Its great when we find a retailer that really listens to what the consumer wants. The first East Avenue store opened in 1962 with just 23,000 square feet and was eventually expanded to 43,000 square feet, but it was still too small to meet the needs of its customers. </p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>“Our customers wanted more fresh produce, seafood, specialty cheeses, organic choices, and of course, prepared foods. There was no room for café seating, and parking was always a problem,” Store Manager Tony Carnevale says.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Congrats to Wegmans on your new location!</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&identifier=CATEGORY_546 " target="_new"> Wegmans </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
