With the snip of a ribbon, North Suffolk’s newest drugstore, Rite Aid, officially opened for business on Thursday.

Several city staff and elected officials, including Mayor Linda T. Johnson and Suffolk City Council members Lue Ward and Roger Fawcett, who represent the Nansemond and Sleepy Hole boroughs, respectively, were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Harbour View is growing tremendously,” said Johnson, shortly after snipping the ribbon with an oversized pair of scissors. “You have the opportunity to touch so many people’s lives here.”

The company invested $2 million into the 11,085-square-foot Rite Aid, at 6150 College Drive, said manager Candice Deloatch. Besides the five management team members that transferred from other stores, Rite Aid has hired eight employees to staff the Harbour View store.

The store places a heavy focus on its “Wellness Store” design, a concept the company has embraced wholeheartedly, said Satish Arcot, the pharmacy’s district manager. The store will carry an extensive line of GNC products, gluten-free foods and organic foods, he said.

The store features a pharmacy drive-through, contemporary design, expanded merchandise offerings, easy-to-read signage directing customers to different areas, and a path leading directly to the pharmacy.

Near the pharmacy, there is a private consultation room where pharmacists can talk with patients, administer immunizations and conduct other clinical services.

Deloatch said Rite Aid is happy to have a presence in Harbour View.

“I’m hoping to forge alliances and friendships with our neighbors in the community,” Deloatch said. “We are really looking forward to connecting with the people of Suffolk.”

The Harbour View store is the second Rite Aid the company has opened in Suffolk this year. The company opened a $2.4-million, 14,000-square-foot store at 1517 Holland Road in February, and plans are in the works to build one in Carrollton.

The new store’s hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The pharmacy is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.