By Sterling McGinn
The former Bear Den Grocery located along M-28 near McMillan and across the street from East Lake has new owners and boasts a new name—Kisro’s Lakeside Market.
Newberry residents Dennis and Jayne Kisro recently purchased the grocery store and gas station from Dennis’ cousin, who decided to sell the business.
Both Dennis and Jayne are from the Newberry area and are in the process of expanding and revitalizing the store.
A grand opening celebration was held on Friday, February 17, where the new owners offered popcorn and several give-away items to their customers.
The couple recently closed the business for a brief period to allow for the completion of a few renovations to the building, and one is noticeable right away. The wall in the old entrance way was removed, along with the replacing of the entrance floor. A new front door was also installed. Other floors were repaired throughout the building.
Just inside the door is a new feature: a bakery section. Jayne’s mom and sister rent a portion of the store for their bakery, Sugar’d Up. The bakery features a selection of baked goods plus cotton candy.
“We are going to bring in Broaster’s Chicken—we have the area still under construction and it will probably be a month until we can have that up and running,” Jayne Kisro said. “We will continue to offer the sub sandwiches and the donuts…we will just add the chicken and deli meats and salads.”
New freezers were installed along one of the walls in the store allowing for a selection of frozen foods. The grocery section has also been largely expanded.
Longterm, the Kisros would like to rebuild the entire building, but right now, they’re making sure the building is safe for customers and meets needs for those who can’t make it into Newberry every day.
“We have quite a few elderly people come in and tell me that they don’t get to town that often. They might have someone drive them to town once a week,” explained Jayne Kisro. “In between, they might run out of things, so I am trying to provide them with things they might run out of between grocery visits.”
Kisro’s Lakeside Market also plans to develop a local section, offering items made in the area.
The store continues to sell gasoline and offer movie rentals. Candy, soda pop and other beverages are also available.
