In recent weeks, the soon-to-open Harris Teeter store had to station an employee at the front door to ward off would-be customers because many were walking in, grabbing a cart and shopping for groceries.
Around the Kings Contrivance village center, where the supermarket will replace the former Safeway, anyone wearing a Harris Teeter shirt is fair game for questions about the opening date and the products the store will carry.
The other day, a woman called and wanted to order a cake.
Clearly, there is excitement over the arrival of the North Carolina-based chain. The 24-hour store is set to open at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and will offer a "Taste of Teeter" sampling until 8 p.m.
It will take up 55,000 square feet of space in the village center that has been without an anchor grocery since Safeway left in June 2006. Out front, an enormous sign counts down the days until the store opens.
"It's been really difficult," said Kings Contrivance resident Shirley Evans about the absence of the village supermarket.
"We have to go to other sections of Columbia and Ellicott City. My co-workers are familiar with the store from other states, and they say it's a great store."
Evans said she will be comparing its products and prices with the Silver Spring Whole Foods store that she patronizes, and with the Trader Joe's in Columbia's Gateway Overlook.
Village merchants also are glad to see an anchor store return.
"It means we're going to get the 15 or 20 percent back that we lost, and we hope more," said Jim Wiley, manager of Kings Contrivance Liquor and Smoke Shop. "I think people are excited already. I haven't seen our lot this full in a long time."
Around the village center are signs of renewed energy. The parking lot is freshly blacktopped, and merchants are touching up paint and trim inside and out.
The 40,733-square-foot Safeway and the adjoining structure, which once housed a Friendly's restaurant, were demolished to make way for the Harris Teeter that will feature olive, fresh fruit and Asian hot food bar; sushi; a Starbucks; a pharmacy and a large frozen-food section. The store used space it would dedicate to wine and beer in other states to make specialty sections larger, including a frozen-food section with separate Kosher, Asian and organic foods sections.
The Columbia location is the second Harris Teeter for Maryland.
