The local grocery store owner was getting older and had no one to take over once she retired, but word went around that she was offering to sell the grocery store to anyone who wanted to buy it.
The store had been around for a long time, and no one wanted to see it closed down! I spoke to our fiance about it and we decided to purchase the property and retain it as a grocery store, but folks in town were thrilled with the news and promised to continue buying locally.
Yes, there was much competition from sizable chain stores, but we believed this was a wise investment. There were a few things we needed to update before reopening the store. While we retained the old name, the place needed some paint and a new A/C. The previous owner told us to change the ventilation system since the old one gave him lots of concerns, we called in an AC professional to inspect the HVAC duct and see which system would best cool or heat the store, since it was a sizable commercial space, the professional went with a commercial heating and A/C system. It was more energy-efficient and suited for a place where several people spent a lot of time, and after purchasing the commercial system, next came installation, which took some time to complete. After that, we had to sign a heating and A/C maintenance agreement with a local AC servicing and maintenance company. The agreement covered heating and A/C maintenance and repairs. In addition, we got 24 hour emergency repairs, duct cleaning and a free smart thermostat to go with the current central HVAC system.