By Darla Shelden, City Sentinel Senior Reporter —
OKLAHOMA CITY – Homeland (HAC Inc), an Oklahoma, employee-owned company, has announced the opening of their new, full-service grocery store at NE 36 and Lincoln in Oklahoma City. A Grand Opening ceremony will be held on Wednesday, September 1 at 9 a.m.
The new 30,000 square foot grocery store will provide fresh grocery options to customers in the underserved northeast Oklahoma City area.
The grand opening will include remarks from Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice, Cathy O’Connor, President of the Alliance for Economic Development for Oklahoma City, and Marc Jones, CEO and President of Homeland.
Entertainment will be provided by the Douglas High School Band, Comm-UNITY line dancers, and OKC Thunder’s Rumble, the Bison.
“We are thrilled that an Oklahoma City- based grocery store will serve the neighborhoods in northeast Oklahoma City,” said O’Connor. “The area has been underserved for far too long.
On September 5, from 1 – 5 p.m., the “First Sunday” Community Day will feature fun for the entire family including music, food trucks, kids’ activities, an appearance by OKC Thunder’s Rumble, live remote with Power 103.5 and local organizations.
Food trucks and music will continue every first Sunday each month.
“The City of Oklahoma City, Ward 7 City Council members, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, residents and the Alliance for Economic Development have been talking to grocers about locating in NE OKC for nearly 25 years,” O’Connor added.
“Homeland recognized the need for healthy, full-service grocery options in this area and we are thankful for their leadership and partnership.”
Homeland and Hunger Free OK are also announcing that the NE 36th & Lincoln store is the first in Oklahoma City to offer Hunger Free Oklahoma’s Double Up Oklahoma Program which matches SNAP (food stamps) dollar for dollar with DUO Bucks redeemable for fresh fruits and vegetables (up to $20/day).
Anyone receiving SNAP benefits is automatically eligible and no application is required. SNAP participants may simply shop with their SNAP/Oklahoma EBT card to start earning DUO Bucks.
The new store will feature a pharmacy and a variety of organic fruits and vegetables, freshly baked breads, a custom butcher shop and fresh, ready-to-eat deli foods.
There will also be daily lunch and dinner hot menu with made-to-order salads, grilled wraps tacos, nachos, burritos, quesadillas and 14″ take and bake pizzas. Party trays are available every day, as well as a bakery offering custom cakes.
Also participating in the new Homeland location are locally established businesses such as Not Your Average Joe coffee (NYAJ) and Lil’ Leos Barbeque. NYAJ, will offer a variety of coffee drinks, and an ever-changing menu of beer and wine-by-the-glass.
“We expect a line out the door for Lil’ Leo’s delicious barbeque and their famous strawberry banana cake,” the press release stated.
The store will feature indoor seating for 38 near the grab-and-go prepared foods and an outdoor patio that seats 19. The patio will be the site for the monthly “First Sunday” food truck and music event.
“The combination of the fresh deli, bakery, wine by the glass and casual seating areas allows us to offer an inviting atmosphere,” says Marc Jones, CEO and President of Homeland. “We want our store to serve as a gathering place for the neighborhood, where shoppers can grab a prepared lunch and enjoy it on the outdoor patio or where we can host community gatherings with food trucks and entertainment.
“This store combines several new ideas that our customers are looking for and we’re excited to offer them together in one store,” Jones added.
The store will feature murals and black and white photography throughout the store by local graphic designer and photographer Shakurah Maynard, as “homage to her sense of family, community, and joy she has found in the Northeast Oklahoma City community,” the release stated.
Outdoor murals will be created by Manifold Creative Concepts covering two exterior walls visible from the corner of NE 36th and Lincoln.
“The exterior murals will connect the store to the surrounding community, reflect the culture of this Oklahoma City neighborhood and help to reveal our city’s unique character,” Jones said. “This investment in public art is a priority in northeast Oklahoma City, the core of our city’s Black heritage.”
CMSWillowbrook built the store and the architect is Mark Thomas of Architects Collective with civil engineering by Johnson & Associates.
The store will serve several local neighborhoods and will share the block with the new MAPS 3 Senior Wellness Center that is planned to be complete in fall 2023. The store and wellness center will be served by a new EMBARK bus shelter.
Homeland is Oklahoma’s largest locally-owned grocery store chain with 34 locations statewide. Homeland has been 100 percent employee owned since 2011. The company traces its roots back to 1916 when the first United Supermarket was opened in Sayre, Oklahoma.
For more information, visit homelandstores.com.
