The Mirabito family: Jim, Cindy, Morgan, and Whitney, along with local elected officials, friends, and family, stand alongside Jim's parents, Charlene and Francis Mirabito as they cut the ribbon at the Save-A-Lot grand reopening ceremony.
The Fulton Save-A-Lot located at 364 W. First St. S. officially re-opens under Mirabito ownership.
The Mirabito family: Jim, Cindy, Morgan, and Whitney, along with local elected officials, friends, and family, stand alongside Jim’s parents, Charlene and Francis Mirabito as they cut the ribbon at the Save-A-Lot grand reopening ceremony.
The Mirabito family: Jim, Cindy, Morgan, and Whitney, along with local elected officials, friends, and family, stand alongside Jim’s parents, Charlene and Francis Mirabito as they cut the ribbon at the Save-A-Lot grand reopening ceremony.
Registers remained lined with customers during the grand re-opening which offered free products to the first 100 customers each hour.
An updated and expanded produce section opens the store to a colorful, clean environment.
Maintaining the same ever popular meat manager, Save-A-Lot offers low price, quality meat, fresh.
An easy to maneuver, clean frozen food section.
Displays throughout the store offer popular products at low prices for easy to find shopping.
The Save-A-Lot bakery section.
Aisles are clean and organized, as customer’s noted.
FULTON, NY – The official grand re-opening of the Fulton Save-A-Lot store under new ownership drew a large crowd to showcase the store’s many updates.
“It’s cleaner, brighter, our produce section has been updated and expanded. Now when you walk in, it just kind of jumps out at you,” said new owner and Fulton native Jim Mirabito, whose family is well-known in the grocery business.
Jim, acquiring ownership alongside his wife, Cindy, and daughter, Whitney, have made several changes to the store that improve the customer experience.
However, several things will remain the same including a number of familiar employees, a well-known meat manager, and the commitment to adhere to the Save-A-Lot program, offering quality products at a price up to 40 percent lower than competitors.
“This kind of store is needed in Fulton,” Jim Mirabito said. “To be able to give consistently low prices so people don’t have to wonder what’s on sale each week, that they can find sale prices every day without sacrificing quality. That’s exciting for us to be able to do that for our customers.”
While low prices may draw in the crowd, it’s the stores friendly staff and customer service that makes the Save-A-Lot shopping experience a true treat.
“We pair our prices with quality service and cleanliness, so that’s a win-win for everyone,” Jim said.
Though the Fulton Save-A-Lot store is a new venture for the Mirabito family, the grocery business is an utterly familiar part of their lives.
Former owners of the Hannibal Village Market IGA, Jim Mirabito and his family have seen loyal customers of their previous store follow them to Fulton to continue shopping under the Mirabito name.
“The grocery business is in his bones, it always has been,” said Jim’s mother, Charlene Mirabito.
The first Mirabito store opened in Fulton on Erie Street in 1928 by Jim’s grandfather, the start of a family business that has withstood the test of time nearly 90 years later.
Several members of the Mirabito family have owned and operated Mirabito grocery stores throughout the area since, and several Fulton natives have fond memories shopping under Mirabito ownership.
“I’ve been shopping Mirabito stores all my life,” said Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward Sr. who attended the grand re-opening though he was already familiar with the store’s changes as he shops the Save-A-Lot weekly.
“It’s beautiful, I’m glad to see the interest here,” he said, glancing around a packed store with lines full of customers at each register.
With the opening of Save-A-Lot under the Mirabito’s ownership, a family tradition is passed along to yet another generation.
Jim and Cindy’s daughter, Whitney Mirabito, 27, is taking her hand at ownership for the first time alongside her parents.
“Whitney has really stepped up a lot. She is very passionate and committed, she’s doing great,” Jim said of his daughter’s role in ownership.
“I absolutely love it,” Whitney said of her new position. “I came home not knowing what I wanted to do, but this has been so much fun. Every day is different. I enjoy that not everyday is the same but I think my favorite part is being a part of my community, offering our customers whatever we can to help them.”
Long term customers of the Fulton Save-A-Lot seem to approve of the changes under the Mirabito’s ownership.
Pat Cunningham, having shopped at this store for the past 10 years, said she finds the store to be “much cleaner, neater, and more organized.”
And while she comes back for the prices, she enjoys the friendliness of the store’s employees as well as the music that is played while she shops, rounding out a laid back, relaxing shopping experience.
Dick Hyde Jr., having shopped at Mirabito’s stores in Fulton for many years, said the Save-A-Lot store had really improved under the new owners.
“This is a working person’s store,” Hyde Jr. said. “They’ve really improved the store and even gave away a lot of free stuff (at the grand re-opening.) The Mirabito’s are a fabulous family and the changes they’ve made are just unreal, amazing.”
With the grand re-opening under their belts, the Mirabito’s will continue to improve the Fulton Save-A-Lot store and maintain their commitment to serve their customers in the friendliest, most cost efficient manner.
“It’s been gratifying. All of the comments and words of encouragement have been great. At the end of the day, it’s the people that keep us going. To be able to serve the people, that’s what is satisfying,” Jim Mirabito said.
The Save-A-Lot store is located at 364 W. First S. S. in Fulton and is open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
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Very nice to see the Mirabito family back in the grocery business in Fulton.
Looks nice.
Support these local business owners it’s the American way; Aldi’s is from Belgium and they will be a tough competitor.