The Roberts Company, a Hattiesburg-based grocery store chain, is updating the Sunflower grocery store on Hardy Street to be a Corner Market.
Mike Sowden, chief operations officer for the company, said the grocery store is getting a much-needed face lift.
“We’ve been doing some painting to the outside; we’re doing as much as we can to the inside right now,” Sowden said. “It’s going to get a complete face lift, a complete redo on the inside, and that’s going to take some time.”
Sowden said they are trying to avoid as much business interruption as possible and plan to have the store completely finished in February or early March.
The company has also purchased the old Winn-Dixie on Lincoln Road near 28th Avenue.
“It’s going to be a Corner Market as well,” Sowden said. “We are going to do that at the exact same time as we’re doing the Sunflower on Hardy Street, and we’re hoping to open somewhere around the same time.”
Sowden said the Lincoln Road location is currently having updates made to the flooring, plumbing and electrical systems, and designers are already working on the outside.
“That’s one of the stores we desperately wanted,” Sowden said. “It’s a great little neighborhood store and serves a great purpose.”
Sowden added that the company has also acquired a few neighborhood grocery stores in the Jackson metro area and plans to update those as well.
