Retail February 9, 2022 12:25:41 am

Nearly a year after mass shooting, Table Mesa King Soopers ready to welcome back shoppers

King Soopers Table Mesa store in Boulder has been redesigned and is set to reopen Wednesday. Lucas High/BizWest.

By Lucas High

BOULDER — On March 22, 2021, a gunman killed 10 people in the King Soopers grocery store in Boulder’s Table Mesa shopping center.

Nearly a year later, the store has undergone a major redesign and is set to once again welcome Boulder shoppers on Wednesday.

The reopening, which will include a ceremony to remember the dead, was briefly delayed as The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) grocery chain and its employee union battled over a new labor contract. A strike ensued last month, but a deal was reached in about a week and a half, and union workers returned to their posts.

“Our associates are really grateful to return to the place they call home,” King Soopers media-relations director Jessica Trowbridge said Tuesday.

Input from those associates was taken into account when making changes to the Table Mesa store, which include:

Large new windows along the front entrance to enhance natural light.
A new entrance vestibule with a mural of the Flatirons that creates a centralized point of entry.
Reconfigured parking lot.
Raised ceilings.
Expanded produce and meat departments.
New flooring.
Updated break area decorated in a Denver Broncos theme.

King Soopers is also in the process of building a memorial tree-garden area to honor the people killed in last year’s attack. The remembrance garden — which will include 10 trees to signify the 10 lives lost — is expected to be complete by June.

While there was some consideration of closing the store for good after the shooting, “it’s been fulfilling to know that we’re able to return this store to our associates and to the community,” Trowbridge said.

Company officials declined to comment on whether any of the store modifications were made in the name of enhanced safety for customers or employees.

“Safety is our core value, and we will remain committed to making sure we have a safe working and shopping environment,” Trowbridge said. “Any specifics regarding safety enhancements is proprietary information and could potentially be a risk for us to share that.”