Bringing back the pig

Nearly three years after the Crestline Piggly Wiggly was pushed out of its location and replaced by a national pharmacy chain, the neighborhood store reopened at its new location. Recognizing the locally-owned grocery as a cornerstone of the community, a group of local leaders took it upon themselves to “bring back the Pig;” but the road wouldn’t be easy.

Crestline Pig owners teamed up with Retail Specialists, GMC and Brasfield & Gorrie to look at dozens of sites for the new location. They finally landed on a viable option, which still presented its fair share of complications. The site had multiple landowners, traffic and access issues, insufficient parking and was located next to a school and neighborhood with residents who were hesitant about a big box grocery opening near their homes. The project team worked closely with city officials, the school board and developers to address every concern and account for each of these issues when designing the new store.

The result was a building designed in a village-scale character with great pedestrian connectivity to the neighborhood. The new store is 1.5 times larger than the previous one, offering more selection and amenities such as outdoor seating, tasting areas for beer and wine, and twice as many parking spaces.

Reclaimed wood, broader aisles named after local streets, expanded product selections and unique offerings are features of the “bigger and better” store, as described by owner Andy Virciglio, in addition to being more sustainable and energy efficient.

Despite many changes, the store’s most important assets have remained the same. Several of the former Crestline Pig employees the community had come to know and love have returned, including the beloved Arrelia Callins, a Piggly Wiggly cashier for more than 25 years and the original store manager. Needless to say, it’s good to have the Pig back home.