Amador County – A packed house of hundreds of family members, friends, business people and local residents gathered Wednesday for the grand opening of Jackson Grocery Outlet Bargain Market.

The parking lot was full to capacity at 9 North Highway 49/88 in Jackson, across the creek from Mel & Faye’s Diner, who catered the event. Amador County Chamber of Commerce President Mark Borchin saluted the new, locally owned store, and Jackson Mayor Pat Crew quoted an old saying by a former city councilman that all Jackson children eventually come back home.

Co-owners of Jackson Grocery Outlet, Rhonda and Jesse Andriessen thanked the overwhelmingly large crowd, which filled the front part of the store, the former home of Safeway. Jesse Andriessen listed thanks for people, and said the crowd was filled with his relatives: brother, sister, cousins, and other family and old friends. He grew up in Jackson, and was a Jackson High School Lion, and a member of the baseball team that went undefeated for three years.

Andriessen also presented a pallet of food to the Interfaith Food Bank, whose new Executive Director Lynn Standard Nightengale accepted the gift, along with a $300 gift card for the store. Andriessen also gave out the door prize to the Chamber invitees who put business cards in a drawing. The winner was the Chamber office manager, Dianne Sherbourne, who was given a gift basket of items purchased from the Jackson Grocery Outlet. In fact, Andriessen said they were the first purchases to be made at the new store.

He and Rhonda cut the ribbon on the store with the help of Amador Community Foundation’s Kathleen Harmon, and Gale Fairbrother holding the ribbon. The Andriessens were flanked by Borchin, Jackson Mayor Pat Crew, Jackson Vice Mayor Connie Gonsalves, Jackson City Councilman Keith Sweet and others.

Jim Tscharner, a board member of the Interfaith Food Bank, said the Andriessens would have three barrels in the back of the store for donations to the Food Bank, and they will regularly call the Food Bank to come and pick up the groceries that are near the end of their expiration dates. He said the grocers are glad Food Bank is here, to use the food and give the business a write-off for donations.

Grocery Outlet is an “opportunistic” buyer, and buys only quality brand-name products, directly from their manufacturers, for pennies on the dollar. The manufacturers call Grocery Outlet when they have a surplus inventory from excess packaging, manufacturing overruns, a wrong forecast, or changes in packaging.

Some of their best buys are in wine, health and beauty care, frozen foods, organics and produce. Grocery Outlet has one-time deals and its inventory will change continually, so shoppers never know what they are going to find. The store offers 40-70 percent savings on average.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.