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Back in March of 1960, shoppers in Spokane Valley were introduced to a new Rosauers supermarket at the corner of Sprague and University.
Ads billed the state-of-the-art store as a symbol of modern convenience, complete with a dozen check-out stands, stainless steel machinery and a new concept called the “express lane” where customers with five items or less could be on their way without stalling in line.
Earlier this month, the company founded by J. Merton Rosauer in 1934 celebrated the grand re-opening of a refurbished store just a few blocks away from the 30,000-square-foot building that was launched nearly 49 years ago. While a 3-pound bag of potatoes may not sell for 29 cents as it did in 1960, the remodeled site includes features like an expanded deli, Huckleberry’s Natural Market and the addition of 4,000 square feet that have been a boon to business, according to store manager Jim Dailey.
“We’re seeing more foot traffic, for sure,” Dailey said.
The centerpiece of the renovation is a three-aisle section set aside for Huckleberry’s where shoppers can find everything from health supplements to tofu products to dried fruits and raw food in bulk. Huckleberry’s and Super 1 Foods, a discount grocery store, are both owned by Rosauers.
Rosauers president Jeff Phillips said the company received “numerous requests for a Huckleberry’s in the Valley” ever since a venue at the corner of Sprague and Sullivan closed in 2000. While a dozen Rosauers locations include a Huckleberry’s component, most health food shoppers in the Spokane Valley area made the pilgrimage to the stand-alone site on the South Hill at Monroe Street that opened in 1996.
Now, the 3,000-square-foot “store within a store” provides staples like wheat bran, gluten-free products, soy milk, granola, and a variety of organic foods in a setting that Dailey said “has been a positive thing for customers.”
“People are just glad that there’s finally a Huckleberry’s in the Valley,” he said.
Between Rosauers, Super 1 Foods and Huckleberry’s, the company now has 21 sites throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana. In 1984, Mert Rosauer sold the company to URM Stores, Inc. Then in 1990, some 1,250 employees of Rosauers became co-owners of the company when URM sold the business back through an employee stock ownership plan.
Phillips said the company continues to emphasize the pillars of “quality, variety and customer service” at each location. A total of 110 employees are assigned to the Valley store – and it’s not uncommon to have just under half that amount working on the same shift.
“There are more staff here than you would see at a typical grocery store,” Dailey said. “It’s so customers will have more help.”
Half-a-dozen employees have been added to the deli department that now includes salad and sandwich selections from Huckleberry’s. A grill and pasta bar have also been integrated into the restaurant-style format.
The store at 10618 E. Sprague is located in an area frequently mentioned in the Sprague Appleway Revitalization Plan, an ambitious urban renewal project being coordinated by the city of Spokane Valley. Design drawings for the plan include amenities like a library and municipal buildings anchoring a city center with a mix of residential and commercial structures rounding out the neighborhood.
Phillips said he sees the benefits of investing in Spokane Valley’s main corridor.
“We want to do whatever’s right for the city of the Valley,” he said. “If we could revitalize this area, that would be fantastic.”
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By
Craig Howard
