In mid-November, a revamped Snoqualmie Ridge grocery will offer “as deep a selection as we can possibly fit in the store,” said Tyler Myers, CEO of the company that recently signed a long-term lease for the space formerly occupied by Village Foods IGA.

“We will be touching virtually every department in the store, expanding the produce, bringing in more natural and organic product, and extending all the grocery aisles,” Myers said.

Like Village Foods, the new store, tentatively named The Ridge Supermarket, will be affiliated with the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), an network of independent retailers “that use a lot of the same tools, advertising, training” and other back-end support, Myers said.

“Like any like any sort of program like that, it’s only as strong as the person running the store,” he said.

Village Foods shut its doors last month after entering Chapter 7 bankruptcy; Myers said its failure was due to operational missteps.

“This store didn’t get to the point where it is today by the building, by the location, by the customers and the community, or by the employees. Nor was its demise due to IGA. They were probably a little undercapitalized; they might have had a little bit of bad luck, and maybe not made all the best decisions,” he said.

“It’s a good facility. It’s just a matter of fixing what is here,” Myers added.

Over the next few weeks, the Myers Group will bring in more refrigeration and shelving, expand the deli and seafood sections, and add a new check stand to the 21,000 square-foot store. The store’s pharmacy, still currently in operation, will remain the same.

The Whidbey Island-based Myers Group operates three other grocery markets, three hardware stores and a trio of gas station convenience stores in Western Washington.

Myers said his stores’ prices are comparable to what you might find in Safeway or QFC.

“I realize that pricing was a significant issue in the store. It’s not an issue in our stores. We compete in our stores with all of the other big players.”

Myers said Snoqualmie is a good fit for his company, which has been operating since 1978.

“Whenever we open a business, we are here for the long haul,” he said. “Our intent is to become very much part of the community.

“When (customers) come in and say, can you get me this item?, then we go get that item. You can be really responsive when it’s a tight community like this,” he said.

Myers said even the look of the store will reflect the community.

“Our décor package will be very vibrant graphics,” he said. “It may be pictures of kids playing soccer this month, and next month the cross-country team. The whole interior package is driven around the community, and making folks feel like, This is my store.”

He hoped that providing a strong anchor market would boost business for his new neighbors in the retail plaza.

Store hours will likely be from 7 or 8 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m. seven days a week.