After three years of anticipation and through several delays, residents of North Salina have their new grocery store.

Save-A-Lot officially opened their doors at 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning to many eager shoppers. Store officials estimate there were around 50 people waiting in line for the store to be opened. The new store, the 1,335th to be opened by Save-A-Lot, occupies the former Dillons building at 511 E. Iron, which closed in 2012.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was also held this morning that included officials with Save-A-Lot, members of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, and Salina Mayor Jon R. Blanchard.

Blanchard, who spoke at the ceremony, said that when Dillons closed, the section of Salina north of Crawford Street became “what the USDA classified as a food desert”.

Through community support, the need for a grocery store north of Crawford was recognized by the company, who normally opens stores in larger markets.

As many as seven different grocery chains had looked at the East Iron location before Save-A-Lot took over the building.

Save-A-Lot is one of several new businesses coming into the Salina market. Cox Bros. BBQ recently opened a location on East Crawford. Ross Dress for Less is scheduled to open in the Central Mall on July 18th, and a Rib Crib restaurant is currently under construction near the intersection of 9th & Schilling. The former Del’s Electronics building at 2770 S. 9th is undergoing a reconstruction and will become a MedExpress location.