New name, but ownership of Scheck's IGA still local

New name, but ownership of Scheck's IGA still local
Chuck Visocky

Eventually, the former Scheck's IGA in Shreve will look like this under its new ownership and name Sweethaven.

                        

The sale of Scheck’s IGA in Shreve will mean a new name, new look and new products, but the store will remain in the hands of a local family.

Backed by a small group of investors, Chuck and Pat Visocky, owners of He Brews Coffee shop in Shreve, and their son Carlos, have taken over management of Scheck’s as of June 25. While major changes are in the offing, the most immediate one is the new name Sweethaven.

The name is meant to reflect that it is “more than a grocery store,” Chuck Visocky explained. “We want it to be nourishment for the body as well as the soul.”

As the transition occurs, the store will be closed June 26 and 27 for restocking and organizing of shelves as well as deep cleaning, but will reopen Monday, June 28. On Sunday, June 27, the Visockys will host a celebration and free barbecue dinner in the store’s parking lot from 3-5 p.m. They will also honor the store’s previous owners, Richard and Linda Scheck. The couple owned the store for 60 years until Richard passed away in February.

Three years ago, Chuck Visocky, a certified business coach, began working with the Schecks, including their daughter, Margaret Coblentz, on the possibility of selling the store after research he conducted showed it could thrive in the village. He organized a group of investors, Sweethaven of Shreve Corp. which purchased the assets and property from Scheck’s IGA.

Chuck Visocky described the investors as “a group of people who have a love for the Shreve area and wanted to see it have a grocery store.”

“Sadly, Mr. Scheck wasn’t able to see the completion of the efforts,” he said, but Scheck's daughter has agreed to be part of the transition team and will be working at Sweethaven full time. “We need a Scheck in the building.”

Speaking during an informational meeting during Swampfest, Coblentz said she was excited about the changes ahead.

“She is confident that in a new way we’re continuing to fulfill her dad’s values in the business,” Chuck Visocky said. “We want Sweethaven to be a place where shopping is a welcome experience.”

“We’ve laid out the vision and culture that we want,” he added, and employees will need to be on board with those values. He said all former Scheck’s employees would be given a chance to interview for a position.

Chuck Visocky will manage the store’s business office and his son, Carlos, who came up with the Sweethaven name, will be the store manager.

Having previously worked as assistant manager of the Pine Tree Barn of Wooster and as a barista at He Brews, Carlos Visocky brings a variety of skills to the job.

As manager, he said, “I don’t want to be over people, I want to be part of the team and help lead it.” He wants a friendly atmosphere, he said, where employees are smiling and helping customers.

“He will be the friendly grocer,” Chuck Visocky said of his son, who from an early age has had a love of baking and the food industry. “His personality will carry the business forward.”

New features customers will see in the store over time include a new bakery, added produce shelves and a revamped deli that daily will offer smoked meats and made-to-order sandwiches. “We will continue to sell the fried chicken,” Chuck Visocky said. “People told us not to get rid of the chicken.”

A quick shop called The Beehive will be added to the front of the store. It will open at 6 a.m. Mon.-Sat. to sell fresh doughnuts and He Brews coffee. A seating area will be available “so people can grab a lunch and sit down,” Chuck Visocky said.

Also over the next six months, new cases and flooring will be installed and a digital sign added out front by the road as the store is renovated inside and out, Chuck Visocky said. The plans are for the renovations to make it look more like it did in the 1950s.

He said customers should soon begin to see more products on the shelves at lower prices. Sweethaven has contracted with a new supplier, Merchants Distributors, a privately-owned wholesale grocery store distributor headquartered in Hickory, North Carolina. MDI is a supplier for Rodhe’s IGA in Millersburg.

Sweethaven will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Only The Beehive will be open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday.

“Everybody involved,” Chuck Visocky said, “is excited about the transition.”


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