The owner of the IGA supermarkets in Juneau is in discussions to buy the Breeze In convenience stores and catering operation, and is not renewing the lease of a liquor store that’s been adjacent to the Foodland IGA store for nearly 30 years, officials with companies involved said Thursday.
The actions by The Myers Group LLC, based in Washington state, are part of the company’s longtime expansion efforts, said Rick Wilson, the company’s general manager for Alaska operations. He emphasized the discussions with the Breeze-In Corp. are ongoing and no agreement has been reached.
“We’re looking into it, but it’s quite a ways away,” he said, adding “I would think we’re still another month away from from really knowing much more.”
The Myers Group — which owns IGA supermarkets and other businesses in Washington, Oregon and Alaska — purchased Foodland in 2012, Super Bear in 2015 and DeHart’s Auke Bay Store after it was put up for sale in 2018. The Breeze-In Corp. operates stores on Douglas Island, the Mendenhall Valley and in Lemon Creek, with the latter also housing full-scale catering operations.
Attempts Thursday to contact Tyler Myers, owner and CEO of The Myers Group, by phone and email were unsuccessful.
Breeze-In owner Allan Ahlgren did not return messages to his home phone Thursday. A manager at the Lemon Creek store who declined to give his full name declined to comment.
Wilson said if a sale occurs “we wouldn’t go in and make any major changes” to the Breeze In’s current operations, which include facilities such as a from-scratch bakery that Foodland lacks.
“They have a successful model with their bakery program and their deli program and their catering program,” he said.
A similar approach was taken when The Tyler Group purchased DeHart’s, which remains a separate food operation that has since expanded its offerings, Wilson said.
“When Tyler took over Foodland he didn’t change, he only added to their experience,” he said. “When he took over Super Bear he added to their experience, he didn’t take anything away. When he bought DeHart’s he added to the customer experience, he didn’t take anything away. So I think you can go off that track record.”
The Myers Group, which owns the building housing Foodland IGA, has told the owner of Kenny’s Liquor Market the lease for the space next to the supermarket is not being renewed, Wilson said. He declined to state if the Myers Group is planning to place its own retail alcohol store there.
Pete Thibodeau, who owns the liquor store that opened in 1995 as well as several other retail alcohol stores in Juneau, said he has been told he has to vacate the space by Sept. 30.
“It’s a family business,” he said. “We pour our heart and soul into those businesses, try to serve the public as much as we can, and then the big corporates come to town and basically try to run us off, buy us out for nothing, or chase us off. So that’s what we’re up against.”
Thibodeau, who said he learned about the non-renewal of the lease about a month ago, said he plans to retain the employees at the store by having them work at his other locations.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
Kenny’s Liquor Market, located next to the Foodland supermarket since 1995, has been told its lease is ending as of Sept. 30, according to the liquor store’s owner. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
