Government
Bessemer grocery store gets “fresh” new life
A locally-owned Bessemer store has a fresh new look and is giving a fresh new perspective to downtown Bessemer. A ribbon-cutting was held on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 for the Fresh Value Supermarket at 700 19th Street North. On hand for the ribbon-cutting was Mayor Kenneth Gulley, members of the Bessemer City Council, members of the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce and employees of the store. An invocation was delivered by the Pastor Calvin Bell of 5th Avenue Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. Fresh Value, formerly the Food Giant store, is operated by the D’Alessandro family. The family has owned and operated Fourth Avenue Supermarket and Butcher Shop in Bessemer since 1951. Gerry D’Alessandro is the third generation owner and he plans to keep the family-owned, customer-centered grocery stores operating just as it has been over the years. “It’s good to carry on something my grandparents started and add new personal touches,” Mr. D’Alessandro said. D’Alessandro recently purchased the old Food Giant store and has remodeled the entire store and named it Fresh Value. He now owns four grocery stores including Fourth Avenue Supermarket in Bessemer, Fresh Value Marketplace in Trussville and Dorsey’s Supermarket in Oxford. “The people of Bessemer deserve a better experience of grocery shopping, so I decided to purchase the store and update it,” D’Alessandro said. The first thing the new ownership has done is lower the prices on everything in the store and introduce the concept of cost-plus, which means the store is selling items to the customer at 10 percent mark-up from what the store pays. The store has added more bargains and brought in a whole new line of merchandise. In addition to the improved store, the D’Alessandro family continues to support the community. D’Alessandro presented at the ribbon-cutting a check of $1,000 to 5th Avenue Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Bessemer and a $1,000 check to Bessemer City High School. Pastor Bell said the contribution from the family was a surprise, but noted the family has a long tradition of giving back to the Bessemer community. Mayor Gulley said he is glad to see the D’Alessandro family continue its commitment to Bessemer and its residents. “Bessemer has been good to their family and the family has in turn, been good to Bessemer,” Mayor Gulley said. ““The one thing I am proud is to see a locally-owned and operated supermarket continue to prosper in our city. We wish them much continued success here in our community.”
The D’Alessandro family has renovated the old Food Giant store, giving it a “fresh” new look.
