New Bluffton Kroger to open sooner than expected. And there will be a bar inside

The Kroger being constructed within Bluffton’s Buckwalter Place is set to open sooner than expected with new options for shoppers.

The store was previously said to open sometime in June. However, it is now slated to open May 15, according to Felix Turner, corporate affairs manager for the South Carolina Kroger branches.

Shoppers will be able to experience a beer and wine bar in the grocery store along with a sushi bar, hot deli selections, a salad bar, and a Starbucks. Online ordering and delivery options will also be available.

The store was expected to open last summer. However, work was halted on the 113,000-square-foot building in October 2017 when Kroger requested a change in size and layout, said Mark Senn, president of Southeastern, the company developing the site.

Work started again in January 2018 and led to the opening of the Kroger Fuel Center on Innovation Drive near the store in November.

Kroger is hosting a one-day job fair for all South Carolina and Georgia stores to fill 600 full and part-time positions Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to a news release.

Those interested in applying should visit jobs.kroger.com prior to the job fair and return the application to their preferred store on Saturday between during the job fair hours. No appointments are needed.

This story was originally published April 12, 2019 at 12:42 PM.