The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

New owners will take over Waitsburg Grocery beginning next week.

WAITSBURG-Main Street's staple the Waitsburg Grocery is under new management effective Oct. 1. Jamie Allen and Jessie Smitt have agreed to purchase the business from Dan and Trina Cole.

Dan Cole won't be idling, however. "I've got three other businesses, so I'll have plenty to do," said Cole who also owns the local internet service provider Touchet Valley Communications; LC Applicators, a commercial and residential professional spray service; and is part-owner of Whiskey Canyon Sports Bar.

"I'm 57 years old and it's time to back off a little bit and let someone fresh and young come in and take it to the next level," Cole said.

New owner Allen isn't positive on exactly what the next level is, but has ideas in mind. Allen's boyfriend, Smitt, is also part-owner.

"He'll be in and out, helping with the books and is the muscle moving heavy things," she said. "We want to put in a couple cafe tables to give people a place to have a sandwich if they're in a hurry."

But that's not all on the menu. "We have people onboard who want to get back in the kitchen, so I can be on the floor while they go cook," Allen added. "That'll be our first, biggest change: homemade items in the deli."

"It's 39 degrees this morning, it's soup time," said Allen whose ladle will be out as early as next week for daily soup selections.

The menu is not the only thing getting an update. New flooring has been laid throughout the store. "We bought this place 32 years ago, in April," said Cole. "We took everything out and we put a brand new floor in then and had brand new walk-in refrigerators put in and we opened in June of 1986."

Thirty-two years later, the floors had seen some wear and tear. Taking advantage of the transition, the store is being refreshed.

"We're going out with a bang and putting in a brand-new floor for them," Cole said. "I did not pay for the floor this go-round, though. The Masonic lodge did because they own the building."

Overall, regular shoppers can expect much of the same. "We're going to try to get some new things in," says Allen, "but Dan's done a great job of having what everyone needs and we don't want to ruin that."