The first Mariano's grocery store to take over a shuttered Dominick's is set to open Tuesday in Park Ridge.
Mariano's will take over a total of 11 Dominick's stores after parent company Safeway pulled recently pulled the grocer out of the Chicago area.
On Monday, employees at the new store were busy with last-minute details before the big grand opening.
"We're very excited. A lot of hard work by a lot of people to get this far," owner Bob Mariano said.
Buying the former Dominick's store is extra special for Mariano because he worked with the company for 27 years, and he gives extra credit to the chain's founder, Dominick DiMatteo.
"This is a continuation of a true love and respect for the man and what he built," Mariano said.
Mariano said he will remodel the Park Ridge store and the others over the next two years based on what the community wants.
"We stay very focused on creating this extraordinary experience and shopping excitement for our customers, then we'll be able to do almost anything we choose to want to do," Mariano said.
By the end of the year, Mariano's will have 29 stores in the Chicagoland area -- 10 in the city and 19 in the suburbs.
