As construction and finishing crews continue to buzz around Eagle Creek Village in View Royal this week, a team of merchandisers and tradespeople are putting some of the finishing touches on the plaza's anchor store, Quality Foods.
Dry goods and frozen foods are fast filling up the shelves and freezers on the main floor of the 45,000-square-foot store, which somewhat mirrors the Langford QF store in terms of layout and features that include a massive deli and bistro area. Meanwhile, preparations continue on new features for the upper floor, which will include a Starbucks café, a soup and sandwich bar and a 7,000-sq. ft. upscale kitchenware boutique branded appropriately as A Step Above.
"It's more about creating an atmosphere," says store manager Jordan Schley, who has shifted to the new location after running the Langford store since it opened in July 2014. The split-level shopping experience is a format the company has created to great success in several of its stores up Island, but it's a first for the West Shore, he adds.
All systems are go for the store's official opening and ribbon cutting next Thursday, Feb. 25 at 10 a.m. A special sneak preview for seniors 65-over and people with mobility issues is being held the night before.
The Island-owned grocery chain has put a great deal of stock in the West Shore marketplace, opening two large stores in the span of 19 months.
QF founding partner Ken Schley says the View Royal location, adjacent to Victoria General Hospital and in close proximity to a fast-growing area of the region, offers many advantages.
"We feel that a more diverse group of people will have the opportunity to experience our unique brand of grocery retailing, and hopefully continue to shop with us over time," he says.
Accessible from Helmcken Road on the Saanich side, and Watkiss Way via the Trans-Canada Highway's Helmcken off-ramps and from View Royal's northern residential reaches, the store is well-positioned for customers in a broad area, he adds.
The company and its staff are excited to be an integral part of Eagle Creek, designed as a multi-use community, residential and business hub for View Royal, says Jordan Schley.
"We're very thrilled to be part of this (development) and proud to be part of the community," he says.
View Royal Mayor David Screech is equally excited to see the anchor tenant in Eagle Creek get up and running.
"For residents in that area, they're going to have a walkable (distance) grocery store," he says. "For the hospital, it's going to be great for visitors and staff alike."
He especially appreciates the fact that "a wholly Island-owned company" has chosen to locate a major store within the town's borders.
As for the progress of the Eagle Creek Village project, which is now starting to see merchants open up, he says, "it's amazing in the last three months how much has come together, from where they were."
For more information on Quality Foods, visit qualityfoods.com and for further details on Eagle Creek, visit eaglecreekvlg.com.
editor@goldstreamgazette.com