Shaw’s may reopen in March

Shaw’s Supermarket on Main Street in Bangor has not yet set a specific date for reopening after a Jan. 6 fire ravaged the store, but spokesman Terry Donilon said things are progressing well and the supermarket should be ready by mid-March.

“This is about what we could expect,” Donilon said. “We can’t thank the public enough for their patience. We know this has been a tremendous inconvenience.”

The store shut its doors after a welding accident caused a fire, ruining millions of dollars’ worth of merchandise. Shaw’s had been under reconstruction at the time and the sprinkler system was not operational. Since the fire, cleanup crews have been working to clear the store and Shaw’s is now moving forward with its reconstruction, Donilon said.

“We were so close to being done the first time,” Donilon said. “But when it opens again, it’s going to be just as impressive as planned. We’re going to treat it like a brand-new store.”

If the store reopens in mid-March, it will have been closed for more than two months. Shaw’s has reopened its pharmacy and has been conducting transactions from a trailer in the parking lot since Jan. 9. Some Shaw’s employees have picked up hours at other locations, and others have helped with the cleanup, Donilon said.

“We’re doing right by them, I think. It’s not their fault that this happened,” Donilon said. “Our human resources department has been dealing with it properly and everybody understands.”

With Shaw’s being closed for so long, questions arise as to whether consumers will return to the supermarket with open arms. Donilon said it’s a concern, but was confident that Shaw’s will be able to bring customers back.

“There is a lot of work being done and we’re going to be aggressive,” Donilon said. “There are a lot of customers that want to be served and we have worked hard to build strong relationships with them.”