Longtime Super Foods employee Ralph Kenney has been selected as the individual who will close and lock the door for the final time when the grocery on the west side of Tallassee moves across the street to its new location on Gilmer Avenue.
While he spends most of his working time at the eastside Super Foods store on Notasulga Highway, Kenney, a native of Elmore County, began working at the original Super Foods building on the west side of the Tallapoosa River in 1967, when it was still a Big Bear store.
- Ralph Kenney cuts pork neckbones in the meat department of the eastside Super Foods grocery. He will work at the original westside grocery the last few days before it moves across the street. Photo by Willie G. Moseley
“When we first started talking about how and when we were going to close the (original) store, he asked me if he could work the last few days over at that store, so it was all nostalgia,” Super Foods’ David Lawrence said of Kenney.
Kenney was originally a meat department manager for the store, and also traveled to other stores performing the same duties with other employers during his grocery career.
“I got tired of that, so I worked for the Piggly-Wiggly store in Dadeville for 27 years,” he said. “I’ve been back here for two years.”
Kenney has seen a lot of changes in the retail food market during his decades of work in that field. While he is unsure what kind of final duties he’ll be assigned on that last day, he’s looking forward to the event.
“I don’t know what the ceremony’s going to be,” he said, “but I’d imagine others are going to participate as well.”
Plans for the final day are still pending, but Super Foods owners indicated that other veteran employees may also participate in other “for-the-last-time” events.
