First 500 customers will get a gift card at remodeled Winn-Dixie in Ocean Springs

Shoppers have seen the progress of the remodeling at the Winn-Dixie store in Ocean Springs and on Wednesday they can get a reward for being one of the first inside the finished store.

The first 500 customers to arrive at 8 a.m. Wednesday will receive a gift card for between $5 and $500. The amount will be revealed when they swipe the gift card at the checkout, and can be used to pay for groceries for a day or for weeks, depending on the amount.

The festivities begin at 7:45 a.m. outside the store at at 1515 Bienville Blvd. Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie, and Ocean Springs Mayor Shea Dobson will have brief remarks before the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The doors will open at 8 a.m. and customers will be greeted by a band, product samples and a new look.

Outside are a new facade and signs. Inside the produce department has been updated, the deli now has a hot soup bar, a sub sandwich shop and more grab-and-go meals. The new hot wing bar has six varieties of sauces or dry-rubbed chicken wings. The sushi is prepared fresh daily by a sushi chef. The bakery has new selections and displays along with cake decorating. The meat department has a butcher on site for fresh cuts of meat by request, and the seafood department now offers a “Seafood Made Easy” meal to cut down on cooking time at home.

“Winn-Dixie is deeply rooted in the Gulf Coast community and has established a history of commitment and service going back more than 50 years,” Hucker said. “The newly remodeled store is designed with the needs of this unique community in mind.”

This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "First 500 customers will get a gift card at remodeled Winn-Dixie in Ocean Springs."