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hey are scenes that will become most likely become familiar, everyday. But right now are not. With the Piggly Wiggly opening on Wednesday July 27, some previews, the lay of the land inside The Piglet.

A few steps inside.

Billy Flockhart has transformed what had been a WalMart Express and made it not only a Piggly Wiggly but The Oriental Piggly Wiggly. He’s added a butcher and freshly cut meat section the WalMart didn’t have and invested in other ways that give this independently owned supermarket a dynamic feel – 10 aisles, 40 employees, 5 cash registers, 1 beer cave – all within the space of 11-or so thousand square feet. That’s about 40% bigger than the late indy, Town n-Country had but smaller than the average Pig’.

And so, The Piglet.

A butcher and fresh cut meats return to Oriental which was without either since the Town-n-Country closed in October. The Walmart building had to be retrofitted to have meat cutting and rotisserie chicken on site. (click on image to enlarge, then on arrows for slide show.)

Aisle 2 – beans, vinegars…

Aisle 2 is where you would find tahini. The sesame paste was one of many items requested in the survey owner Billy Flockhart conducted in the spring. In prepping the store Tuesday he broke in a tshirt from the Oriental Food Initiative which advocated for a diverse line of foods.

Beer cave.

The store’s trying to reach a wide range of customers – as exemplified in Aisle 7 – Little Debbie, Mtn. Dew, Bob’s Red Mill and other gluten free products.

Fresh produce was high on the list. Billy Flockhart at the start of the produce aisle.

For those who choose to harvest protein themselves.

Piggly Wiggly is the rare supermarket that sells t-shirts with the company logo; the Oriental Piglet is rarer still in having its own stylized baby pig on tshirts

Aisle 4 – the basics of sugar, spice, flour, oil.

The pig theme abounds, but from the takeaway section dogs do get their day, in the form of a cake.

Carts out front, behind the Grand Opening sign.

Posted Wednesday July 27, 2016 by Melinda Penkava