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Acquisition Corporation Incorportation (HAC), which is headquartered in Oklahoma City. This purchase brought the stores closer to their owners, as B & T’s Food Fresh is headquartered in Sylvania, Georgia, and led by longtime friends and business partners John Triplett and Clark Brunson, who entered the grocery business in 2016.

The change is expected to bring several positive changes to the store, including the ability to offer more inventory of products and even locally grown products and goods.

“We've been handcuffed the last two, three years. Like you said, they stopped letting us buy local produce. They stopped letting us be specific for Vidalia. We're really excited to be with a company that's based in Georgia, who knows what Georgia is about, knows what Georgia wants, and is willing to give us the tools we need to serve this community,” Cuebas emphasized. “We didn't do a very good job this last year, and it's embarrassing to me and my team. These guys are going to give us what we need to do it. We're really looking forward to it.”

B & T’s Food Fresh Chief Operating Officer Mark Mulkey also spoke about these changes, as he stated, “The biggest differences are going to be more aggressive ads, so we'll show more value to the customer. There will be be some aesthetic changes with some decor and updated painting and stuff like that, but we are going to really lean into the managers to tell us what they need to operate the store and serve the community.”

Mulkey explained that it is store managers, like Cuebas, who serve as the leaders of B & T’s Food Fresh stores rather than the corporate leaders. “You know, it's not about us – it's about these guys that live and work in the community and know the people and the customers. They know what Mrs. Johnson wants and what she's looking for when she comes in. So, we listen; we don't dictate everything from the corporate office like the big guys. We’re flexible enough where we can change things from store to store. Something that works in Vidalia may not work in East Dublin; it may not work in Athens. So, you've got, you know, three variations of something that works for that community. We take pride in that,” Mulkey said.

Both Mulkey and Cuebas shared that they are excited to have more opportunities to support the community through sponsoring local teams and organizations, donating to food banks, and working to help those in need within the area. “That's really what our job is: feeding the community,” Mulkey commented.

The men assured that several of local customers’ favorite products and deals at Food World – such as sushi and the 5-For-$25 meat bargain – would remain at the store, as the men worked to expand inventory to often even more options. Mulkey added that one of the most unique services at the store is the hand-cut and ground meat, which is done daily. “They have great workmanship here. You can tell they really take pride in what they do,” he remarked. “That’s one thing that really differentiates us from the big boys like Publix – those guys who cut a limited amount of meat in their stores.”

He continued, “Unless it’s prepackaged chicken or a seasoned tenderloin from Smithfield, we cut all of our beef and pork in house and ground beef daily, and we’re going to continue to do that. We also have apprenticeship programs where we’re training young people to cut meat. We think that really differentiates us from the big boys because, from an efficiency standpoint, they’re trying to get rid of the labor associated with that.”

Mulkey and Cuebas also shared that a new meat bargain would be coming to the store, as a meat bundle is offered for $29 total to provide protein for several meals in a single purchase.

The men said that the name on the outside of the store may take longer to change, but beginning on Tuesday, March 3, the store would be operating as B & T’s Food Fresh. “Our first priority is to get these stores back in business with product,” Mulkey explained.

B & T’s Food Fresh is open daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. For more information, visit the B & T’s Food Fresh website or call (912) 538-1385.