The reopening is a fresh start, and with Christmas just around the corner, it couldn't come at a better time for the locals.
After being closed for nearly a year, Four Square Te Mata rose from the ashes and re-opened on December 15.
And the reopening can’t come soon enough for Havelock North residents.
“It’s just lovely to have the local store open again. They’re a great part of our community,” Havelock North resident Janet Vokes said.
Vokes and her friend Pam O’Sullivan came to get baking stuff for Christmas and everyday groceries. It didn’t take long for them to fill the trolley full.
Graeme Hawes said the store means a lot to the locals.
“I love it. We’ve really missed it since it’s closed. The number of people coming in today shows what it means to everybody around here.”
The store suffered extensive fire damage on January 4, leaving the owner in shock.
“The fire started from the ceiling. It was a distribution board that overheated. We lost all of the stock, and 30 per cent of the interior, which meant we had to restart again,” store owner Jayesh Uka said.
After discussion with staff, family and the Foodstuffs North Island team, the final decision was to redesign a brand-new look store.
The new-look Four Square Te Mata offers a wide range of everyday essentials, a walk-in drinks chiller, a food-to-go range and meal solutions.
“We’re a mini supermarket now. We’ll create more space by moving from three aisles to two with higher heights.”
“We’ve added self-service checkouts to get traffic through the store faster,” Jayesh Uka said.
Jayesh Uka and his partner moved from south Auckland to take over the store in 2013.
He still remembers the open day.
“Our oldest boy, Rihaan, was 6 months old when we moved here. So a new baby, a new town, and a new store were quite challenging. It was raining, like it is today. We were holding a baby in one hand and doing a ceremony to open the store.”
The reopening is a fresh start for the store, and with Christmas just around the corner, it couldn’t come at a better time for the family and the community.
Dai Evans owns Village Vineyard just down Te Mata road. He was very pleased and said it was great timing for all the locals.
“It’s been a local shop for so many years. I wish Jayesh and his staff all the luck, too,” Evans said.
