‘Nicer’ setting for new ABC store
Published 9:57 pm Thursday, April 23, 2015
Kathy Rockefeller, regional manager, and Joey White, store manager, outside a new ABC that will open at Riverfront Shoppes on Harbour View Boulevard next week, replacing the ABC at 6550 Hampton Roads Parkway.
The manager of the ABC at College Parkway Crossing at Harbour View shopping center says he’s excited about his store’s relocation to a brand new shopping center a few miles away.
“I’m excited about the new location” at Riverfront Shoppes at the corner of Harbour View Boulevard and River Club Drive, Joey White said.
“I feel this is going to be a good opportunity for us in this community to really flourish.”
The new shopping center is “really nice,” White said, and according to ABC’s regional manager, that just about explains the reason for the relocation.
Meeting minutes show the state alcoholic beverage control agency’s three-member board approved the move one year ago.
“This (new) store is very close to the same size as the other store, but it’s in a newer location and has a better layout,” Kathy Rockefeller said. “It’s just a fresh, new, up-to-date look.”
The lease was up at the old location, which is always an opportunity to look for better options, according to Rockefeller.
She said the old location is “in a little bit of a decline, and we have a nice, fresh, new shopping center here.”
“This is a growing area,” Rockefeller said. “We have new landscaping here. There’s just more opportunity for our customers and a better shopping experience overall.”
Described in marketing literature as a high-end retail, office and medical development, Riverfront Shoppes, which is nearing completion, has one other confirmed tenant: Taste Unlimited.
The developer is Gee’s Group, based in Virginia Beach, where the Taste Unlimited chain, which offers lunch, catering, specialty food items, wine and gifts, began in 1973.
Rockefeller said the product range at the new ABC store would remain the same. But the agency is always on the lookout for new products to add, she said.
Before the board approved it, the move went through different levels of decision-making and planning, according to Rockefeller. “There’s more than just one step involved,” she said.
“We expect this to be a good location for an ABC,” Rockefeller added.
The store will open Thursday, April 30, she said, with the same trading hours as the old store: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 6 p.m. Sundays.
