It was a grand opening indeed.

Customers lined up outside of Junction City’s newest Dollar General store on Saturday morning for the Grand Opening deals that began at 8:00 am.

Among the deals were gift cards to the first 50 shoppers, and Dollar General tote bags with free product samples.

Patti Hatley, Store Manager, said that the store has been open for about a week and a half now. “Once the word gets around that we’re here and we’re open [business will increase]; this side of town had nothing before so it really needed something so people don’t have to travel so far.”

Many of the customers at the Grand Opening lived within a few minutes of the store.

“We don’t have to travel to the other side of [town], I can just come right down the street less than two minutes from my house; it’s a really good thing for this neighborhood,” said Cherrelle Johnson, Junction City resident.

Hatley, Manager, hopes that this new store will be the first step in more development along Grant Avenue. “I grew up out here in the 70s and 80s and we had grocery stores, and stores, and A&W Drive-In; and I went away for 20 years and come back and I was like ‘what happened’, it’s all gone from this side of town and I think it needs to come back.”

This is the third Dollar General store in Junction City.

Traditional stores employ approximately six to ten people.