Since the beginning of August American Grocery in Dededo has undergone major renovations and expansion. The former store’s footprint of 17 000 square feet will grow to 23 000 square feet by the end of September when it is scheduled to reopen as a 24-hour facility.

"We saw a better opportunity to provide the market with more variety " William T.L. Wong manager of American Grocery said. According to Wong the 6 000 sq. ft. expansion is also the store’s way to prepare for the future.

Enhancing the product for shoppers is part of the focus which warranted fundamental facility improvements. Having purchased the grocery business three years ago Luen Fung Enterprises "" American Grocery’s parent company "" will completely update the building’s electrical system. "Before they had to shut down parts of the store when the power went down " Wong told the Journal. "It’s not good for the product. What we have done is make the building 100% covered with generator backup." He said this redundancy also solves safety concerns regarding frozen foods or those foods that need refrigeration.

With electrical costs directly relating to the bottom line of any business this upgrade also increases the efficiency of the power delivered at the site. Additionally the strategic use of natural light is prevalent in their architectural plans. Even with an increased footprint and hours of operation Wong anticipates measurable power savings that will help the company keep prices low for the consumer.

Outdoor enhancements beyond the pavement are planned with landscaping extending from the new Pizza Hut location next door to the neighboring lot to the south "" also owned by Luen Fung Enterprises. When opened the new American Grocery will feature an on-site bakery "to-go" dinner boxes and more seafood offerings. All 70 employees will return and Wong estimates that 15 to 20 more employees will be needed as the community gets used to the store being open around the clock.

Once this project is complete he said that American Grocery would be on the lookout to open another store somewhere on Guam. However at this point Wong said he is concentrating on getting the current store ready to re-open on schedule.

One industry expert pegged the renovation at more than a million dollars. MBJ