Dormont market to reopen this fall
When she was managing People's Food Mart in Dormont, Melissa Verner never imagined she'd get any payback when she donated food to the needy, delivered groceries to the elderly or stayed open a few minutes late for a small-business owner to stop in after he closed his shop.
But encouragement from former customers and a fundraiser planned for November gave Verner confidence to take over the lease when the family that owned People's declined to reopen because of a June 18 fire caused by a lightning strike.
Verner plans to reopen the store as Potomac Fresh Market, with about five employees, when renovations are complete. She hopes this will be sometime in early November.
“The whole community, the customers and owners, they're trying to help,” said Verner, 34, a Springdale resident who worked at People's for three years before the fire.
Landlord Ken Baxendall, who grew up in Carrick but is now in Florida, said contractors are putting a new roof on the building, in the heart of the Potomac Avenue business district. They will start work soon to replace the facade with stucco and stone, and replace exterior lights with more efficient LEDs.
“I like that street a lot, and I like the community,” Baxendall said. “The (Dormont Volunteer) Fire Department did a great job; the fire could have been catastrophic. When I first heard about the fire, I was afraid I'd have to sell the building to the borough of Dormont for a parking lot.”
He is working with contractors and utilities to get the electricity turned back on. Meanwhile, Verner said she is running extension cords to neighboring businesses in order to work on cleaning out the former sales floor.
Vic Pabla, who worked with Verner to run the store for his father, said he is confident in her.
“She has great business experience, and I believe the store will be as profitable and serve the community as it once did,” he said.
Verner said the new store's stock would be more like a small grocery than a convenience store, with prices comparable to or lower than major chains. She also plans to accept coupons, resume delivery service the store had under the Pablas' ownership and continue food donations, youth sports sponsorships and other community service.
Jeff Clement, owner of the Hollywood Lanes, formerly the Dormont Lanes, plans a fundraiser for Verner on Nov. 9 at the West Liberty Avenue bowling alley. The goal is to raise the last $8,000 or so Verner will need to reopen the store.
“In the back of my mind I knew, if there was ever a fire in this building, all the water would just run down here into the basement,” said Clement, who bought the 88-year-old bowling alley beneath the Dormont Village shopping center about 14 months ago. “I'd sure hope that somebody would help me the way I hope to do for them.”
All proceeds from lane rentals the night of the fundraiser will go to the grocery, as will proceeds from auctions of goods and gift certificates Clement and Verner are soliciting from other businesses in Dormont.
Verner plans to set up a tent outside her store at the Oct. 11 Dormont Street Fair, so she can pre-sell tickets for the fundraiser.
Matthew Santoni is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5625 or msantoni@tribweb.com. Chasity Capasso is a freelance writer for Trib Total Media.
