South-side Piggly Wiggly could be more than grocery pleasure

It was with great interest I read the story by economic development reporter TaMaryn Waters about Piggly Wiggly supermarket moving into the location vacated by Harveys  in the Southside Shopping Plaza.

Even more surprising was the photo of Roy Moore, general manager of  Piggly Wiggly in Quincy, who will own the Tallahassee market. While it shouldn’t be that unusual in 2015 to see a black man owning a supermarket, it was. And inspiring.

Perhaps I wouldn’t have been so surprised had I lived in Gadsden County. My only real connection with Piggly Wiggly in Quincy is hearing WHBX radio personality Joe Bullard doing voice-overs for the store in commercials.

This deal is a major step forward if Moore and his employees get the support of nearby residents and of Tallahassee in providing enough volume and respect for his business to sustain it.

That not only will provide jobs, it also will make it easier to attract other businesses to the shopping center. It also will make it easier to lobby the Community Redevelopment Agency to move forward with a vision to provide support and money in sprucing up the shopping center’s parking lot, installing attractive islands and more, in conjunction with its owners.

Following the closing of Harveys, I frequently made calls to Ed Murray, president of NAI Talcor, which manages the shopping center. Murray always promised that his company was working with the plaza’s owners to find a suitable replacement, preferably a supermarket. The possibility of a Piggly Wiggly had long been rumored, but no agreement had been sealed. Now, Murray’s held up his part of the bargain.

It’s unfortunate that Moore has been met with some concerns that Piggly Wiggly wasn’t up to the standards of Publix. That’s a great testament to Publix and its emphasis on cleanliness, customer service and product availability. But even though it’s viewed as Florida’s supermarket, it, too, draws some whispers about its prices. Winn Dixie isn’t spared those comments, either.

I don’t know how Piggly Wiggly’s prices compare, but I’m sure Moore and company officials have studied the market to see if it would be a good fit. Their company has an established brand, but as is the case with any business, even Publix or Whole Foods, you enter the game to win and to make a profit.

Part of that winning strategy is to be a good neighbor and to know your market. I get the impression that Moore must be good at this.

And that’s where the community buy-in is important.

I remember talking to loyal shoppers of Harvey’s in May 2014, as most of the aisles had been depleted during its going out of business sale. What struck me was that several lived far away from the south side, but they made the trip because Harveys offered items they couldn’t find elsewhere.

One loyalist, who lived in the Buckhead subdivision in the northeast, told me she shopped there once a month because of its selection of fresh greens, fruitcake in season from Claxton, Georgia, and its poultry selection, also from farms in Georgia, where she grew up.

“I come in here and just chat with the people. I'm a friendly person," she said. "A lot of the stuff I could get at Publix, but its Harveys.”

Another shopper, who worked in Southwood and also lived in the northern section of the city, said he, too, was attracted by the selection of fresh vegetables, especially collards, along with frozen vegetables and the “Sunset Farms” pork sausage selection.

I’m not sure if Moore’s pork selection includes Sunset Farms. The point is that these shoppers spent their money at Harveys because it offered something they couldn’t find elsewhere. Over time, it had become their market.

I’m sure Moore will be willing to listen to his new customers to see what specialty items they are interested in.

In a letter to the editor, Dianne Williams-Cox provided a strong endorsement of Moore:

“I have known Roy Moore since I was a kid, when he managed the IGA in my hometown, Quincy,” Williams-Cox wrote, in part: “He always made sure that the store had good lighting, was well stocked and clean.  I believe he continues to take the same care of the Piggy Wiggly in Quincy and will do the same in Tallahassee …”

This Piggly Wiggly could become a model for future south-side businesses. It could provide the fresh vegetables so many people are clamoring for. It could provide those specialty items from nearby poultry farms that residents now stock up on during their trips to Georgia and elsewhere.

And it could be driven by an owner who understands the broader value of operating a successful business, which is needed in an area desperate for goodexamples.

Equally as important, community support could help Moore send a message to future entrepreneurs at nearby Nims, Rickards and Florida A&M University, that says, “Yes, I can.”

Contact senior writer Byron Dobson at bdobson@tallahassee.com, send a friend request on Facebook or connect on Twitter @byrondobson.