Work on a future grocery store in Chapman has slowed down as the owner waits on a signed lease agreement with a company that would run the store.

Doug Thompson, Owner of the Chapman Food Mart, explained that he is waiting on a company that runs a dozen stores in both Kansas and Nebraska to get a signed lease agreement back to him.

“Their interested in moving the coolers in here, state of the art coolers, and doing the deli and getting all of that ready to go,” Thompson said.

He would not say which company he is working with pending the signed agreement.

When completed the store will be a full service grocery store open seven days a week and offer up to sixteen jobs both part time and full time.

Thompson said Chapman residents have shown a lot of interest in the store. “Every time I go get the mail or anywhere else people are asking, how soon, how soon will you open? So there’s a lot of interest in it and were excited to get it done.”

Thompson’s original goal was to open by mid December but that has now been pushed back to mid March.