GFS details food offering expansion in Trotwood

Gordon Food Service will add a rotisserie room and expand other offerings at its Trotwood store, including showcasing fresh produce, a company official said Tuesday.

Remodeling plans by GFS for the 5380 Salem Ave. site also include exterior improvements with the addition of a cart room, an updated main entrance, and new finishes and canopies, according to the city.

“The look of this store will be completely updated inside and out with modern finishes, fresh paint, flooring, and décor,” GFS Marketing Director Mark Dempsey said in an email.

GFS has filed for a building permit as part of broadening its wholesale grocery model at the Trotwood store to include fresh retail options. The company’s plans are part of an estimated $2.5 million deal that would involve the city improving traffic flow and access to the site, officials said.

Trotwood Planning and Development Director Jung-Han Chen indicated he expects to sign off on the application this week.

Chen said the GFS renovations are estimated by the architect to cost is $750,000. That does not include new signage to be installed on the new canopy and the building, or the site accessing issue, he said.

Dempsey said the Michigan-based company expects to start remodeling in the spring with completion expected in mid-summer. The store will remain open through renovations.

“Our first priority is to expand fresh by moving produce to the front of the store and significantly increasing the amount of dedicated produce space,” Dempsey said.

Trotwood has been working for months with GFS for “a grocery solution” brought on by the September closing of the Foodtown store at 830 E. Main St.

Dempsey said GFS will add fresh hot foods inclucing rotisserie chicken, fried chicken and other ready-toserve hot items.

The company has tested the concept at a half-dozen other stores, including those in Toledo, Maumee and a location in Detroit that Trotwood officials visited in recent weeks.

Dempsey said the company moved the Trotwood renovation ahead of several others planned this year. He said the new GFS model should thrive due to its mix of wholesale sales and retail sales.