Fairlawn: Neal Broida couldn’t even wait for West Point Market’s official reopening.
Broida put a “back in five minutes” sign in the window of his Mayatux tuxedo rental shop late Thursday morning so he could race across the street to the market on its first day back in business.
He discovered it wouldn’t be open for another half-hour, but he went in the open door anyway, found some blackberry preserves and left a $10 bill to pay for them since the register wasn’t operating yet.
Broida likes the specialty grocer’s products and service, so he was glad to see it back in business.
“They’re great people. They really are,” he said.
He wasn’t alone in his enthusiasm. About a dozen customers were waiting when the store opened shortly before noon, and the people just kept coming — even though the store doesn’t even have an identifying sign yet.
West Point closed its old store in West Akron nearly a year ago to make way for a 365 by Whole Foods grocery, still under construction. West Point’s new market isn’t finished either, but it opened a section with packaged specialty foods and other items so customers could find some of their holiday favorites, owner Rick Vernon said.
“We didn’t want to stay off the radar screen for long for our customers … so we made a push to get at least half the store open,” he said.
Cuyahoga Falls resident Mena McIntyre, who called herself a “very regular” customer of the old West Point Market, was eager to find the fruitcake and Italian sweet bread called panettone she always bought there.
McIntyre was waiting in the parking lot when the store opened, planning to stock up before heading to California later this month. The fruitcake always sold out quickly, she said, “so I want to be here first to get it.”
She found what she came for. Fifteen minutes later, her cart was loaded with a half-dozen fruitcakes, two paper-wrapped loaves of panettone and another loaf of bread.
Other customers browsed the unusual offerings — mince pies and truffle aioli, imported chocolate and grapefruit-thyme window cleaner, holiday napkins and white fig spread.
The store has an urban feel, with polished concrete floors, metal shelves, a wine bar with raw wood walls and industrial-looking light fixtures suspended from a dark ceiling. The store’s familiar red phone booth is in the wine department, where the gray wood shelves are still bare.
The wine department and bar are expected to open as soon as the liquor license is finalized, probably next week.
Vernon said he hopes to have the rest of the store open in February, which will include cheeses, meats, bakery items, oven-ready foods and a deli.
West Point’s wine director, Bill Krauss, was especially excited about the wine bar. It will serve a selection of local craft beers and wines by the glass and will also play host to vintners and others who can share their knowledge with customers.
The wine bar will be open later than the store, so customers can enjoy a drink with some jazz or maybe live music, Krauss said. And no TV, he promised.
As West Point isn’t just another grocery store, this won’t be just another bar, he said.
West Point Market is at 33 Shiawassee Ave., just west of Fairlawn Town Centre. It’s open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily except Mondays, when it’s closed.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com.