PERRYVILLE, Ark. (KTHV) - The familiar sounds of a grocery store are sounds that many of us take for granted, but not the people of Perryville. "Yeah, it's been tough. Glad to have it back," Vanessa Lester begins.
In October of 2012 a fire burned down the only grocery store in the city. Lester continues, "Oh we missed y'all so much. We didn't know which way to go," forcing residents to drive up to 30 miles to the nearest supermarket. "In order to get something you'd have to go to Morrilton, or Conway or Little Rock. You couldn't just run downtown to pick something up," Lester adds.
Chris Watson, the owner of Big Star says, "We've been 18 months waiting on this day and we're pretty happy." Watson is not the only one excited about the reopening of Big Star Food and Drug. Laverne Ballew says, "We needed this store so bad. We always have to go other places to get groceries… but now we can stay at home."
Watson says, "The people of Perryville have always supported us but it almost makes you want to cry to look at all the people that are here." People who have not been able to gather at what they call the city's meeting place. "We missed all the workers in here. They're just like family you know," Lester adds.
Now, a year and a half later, this community, or family rather, is reunited yet again.
