New Food Market Opens in Hilltop Plaza

by Jonathan Weaver

Today is a Kittanning grocery store’s official grand opening, but plenty of local shoppers made their way through the aisles yesterday despite the cold weather.

With smiling employees out front and an arch of balloons overhead, Aldi’s Food Market opened its sliding glass doors yesterday in Hilltop Plaza in East Franklin Township.

District Manager Keith Ruzomberka was excited to see the turnout.

“We’re really excited to bring the ALDI brand to Kittanning. We think it’s really a great place to shop and stretch their grocery dollars, but also get great value for some of our own brands.

“We opened a lot of stores in 2015, and we’re excited to be open now in Kittanning as well.”

Ruzomberka’s district includes four stores: Lower Burrell, Wexford, Allison Park and Kittanning.

The first 100 shoppers received a golden ticket, each containing gift certificates of various amounts, and were able to sample products.

Free carts were available to customers yesterday.

ALDI’s cart system asks customers to deposit a quarter upon entry, but returns the change once the cart is returned.

“That (cart system) really helps us pass the savings on to the customers so that we can have our employees in the store focusing on other things - it helps us keep the prices low,” Ruzomberka said.

The new grocery store renovated half the space left by the closed-Foodland grocery store.

Brittany Sleigher, of Rimersburg, loaded nearly two dozen items in her vehicle yesterday afternoon. She will recommend the new store to her colleagues at ACMH Hospital.

“It was exciting that they put (an Aldi) store down here,” Sleigher said. “Anytime you go in a grocery store, you always come out with more than what you wanted.

“I want to go somewhere where I can get everything I need and not have to hop around.”

Kayla Bowser, of Kittanning, visited the Butler Aldi frequently during the past five years, but was happy when the Hilltop Plaza store finally opened.

“I love this store,” Bowser said.

The Hilltop Plaza location will be open seven days per week, including from 9AM-9PM Monday through Saturday and 9AM-7PM Sunday.

There are more than 40 stores within the Pittsburgh region, including in Indiana, Lower Burrell and Butler.

Saxonburg Division Vice-President J.R. Perry also attended, and wrote about Aldi’s vision in a press release.

“As Aldi continues to grow in the Pittsburgh-area, we are pleased to open this new location to help customers stretch their dollars even further,” Perry said. “As important as price is, there’s only one ways to attract and keep shoppers: You have to have quality products. When people try our Aldi exclusive brands, they are surprised by the savings and impressed by the quality.”

During the next few weeks, Aldi is also opening a half-dozen other stores, including two in northern Kentucky.