by Ronda Payne/Special to the 91原创 Advance
UPDATE: Now re-opened. Ralph鈥檚 has undergone massive growth through the years, and today unveils its new 11,000-square-foot story to the public.
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The brand new country-styled building on Fraser Highway is going to make things a whole lot easier for the team at Ralph鈥檚 Farm Market and even better for customers.
This new location, talked about for around 10 years, is taking shape to deliver a better shopping experience for 91原创.
Monday, Oct. 30 ended an era as friends, family, and onlookers watched the old buildings and structures come down making way for parking.
New store manager David Sella noted, it was quite a sight.
鈥淚t was great, Ralph got to climb in the excavator and take the first swings,鈥� he said of the demolition. 鈥淚t went as planned.鈥�
Sella鈥檚 name is new (he鈥檚 been on board for just six weeks) yet he鈥檚 proud to be part of the team already.
Murray Redekop will continue his focus on fruits and vegetables as produce manager, while Murray鈥檚 wife Dianne will transition from store manager to grocery manager.
Ralph and Elizabeth Merk are the owners of this family-run business: Dianne and Ralph are siblings, bringing family together on a daily basis.
鈥淲e鈥檝e hired a new store manager,鈥� Murray Redekop said. 鈥淚n moving to the new building, it鈥檚 a little bit more involved. We thought it would be nice to have someone take on a managerial position 鈥� something we haven鈥檛 had before.鈥�
It鈥檚 going to be a considerable job for Sella.
With about the same amount of space for produce, a new mini-bistro area, and a small butcher shop being added to the offerings already seen at Ralph鈥檚, there will be even more reasons for customers to come in and shop.
鈥淥ur focus still is produce, but we鈥檙e adding a bistro 鈥� a little sit-down area for people to have coffee and a muffin or soup,鈥� Redekop noted.
鈥淎nd we鈥檝e also added a fresh meat counter with a full-time butcher. We鈥檙e going to have all kinds of cuts [of meat]. That鈥檚 something we鈥檙e really excited about.鈥�
The addition of the bistro and meat counter gives Ralph鈥檚 more of a one-stop shopping experience, but it will be a few weeks before the new space is revealed to customers.
鈥淭o renovate would have almost resulted in a new building itself,鈥� Redekop explained.
鈥淚t came a head when we just looked at the store that we [were] in and realized that either we renovate and do an extensive renovation, or we just build new. The positive for us has been that we were able to stay open [for a longer time than if renovating] and the disruption in business has just been in our parking lot.鈥�
Redekop added that while the building is slightly larger than the space Ralph鈥檚 has previously occupied, the new building was more about efficiency than adding floor space. Offices, coolers, and storage will all be housed together for the first time.
鈥淲e have a whole bunch of little out-buildings outside whereas with our new building everything is under one roof,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e probably have five man-hours a day without the doors even being open. Because of our tent situation we have to take everything out and bring everything in. With the new building鈥� that won鈥檛 be an issue anymore.鈥�
For those who鈥檝e grown to love the laid-back country nature of Ralph鈥檚, don鈥檛 worry, this too will find its way into the new building, he insisted.
鈥淥ur goal isn鈥檛 to change who we鈥檝e been,鈥� Redekop said. 鈥淲e still want to be a lot about community and look forward to serving our customers the same way that we did in the past.鈥�
Sella echoed this, 鈥淭hey鈥檝e done it right. Ralph and Elizabeth are true to themselves and true to their beliefs. They鈥檙e as good as everybody thinks they are.鈥�
Ralph鈥檚 is now closed to put on final touches in preparation for the move into the building.
鈥淚 believe Nov. 15th we鈥檙e getting power,鈥� Sella said. 鈥淎ll the hardware is in, the refrigeration cases are in, paint and decor is in place and the floors getting finished.鈥�
Redekop said to mark early December on the calendar as the date to watch for the new doors to open 鈥� if all goes as planned.
There is likely to be a grand opening a few weeks later.
鈥淲e鈥檒l definitely have that,鈥� he said of a grand opening celebration. 鈥淎nd will let our customers know when that鈥檚 happening.鈥�
Redekop sees the new building opening as a celebration of community because customers have been watching the new building take form from the foundation to near finished stage. He has sensed the excitement among regulars as the building progressed.
鈥淲e鈥檝e kind of taken the slogan, to our customers, 鈥榯hanks for growing with us鈥�,鈥� he noted. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of how we鈥檝e grown into the structure that we have now and even into our new store.鈥�
The country look of the new building pleases Redekop, in that it still has the look of a market. He said this is the beginning of making a visit to Ralph鈥檚 more of an experience for customers, as well as the nearly 40 local employees. All seem to be excited about the new space.
Ralph dreamed of the new building on the 22-acre site for a number of years.
Growing up from the simple start of selling produce from a hay wagon, is a local success story.
