The Hobby Lobby at the former Kroger store on South Illinois Avenue has a grand opening on Monday morning, Oct. 3, 2016. The store is pictured above on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was updated at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 30.
Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. will open in Oak Ridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and official grand opening celebration on Monday morning. The ceremony is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. October 3. It’s open to the public.
Hobby Lobby is a privately held national retail chain of craft and home decor stores.
The Oak Ridge store, which will be managed by Michael Ramsey, is Hobby Lobby’s 23rd location in Tennessee. The 63,000-square-foot store is in the former Kroger store in a shopping center near the intersection of South Illinois and South Rutgers avenues.
“We feel blessed for the fantastic opportunity to be a part of the Oak Ridge community,†said John Schumacher, Hobby Lobby assistant vice president of advertising. “Our goal is for customers to experience the exceptional service, selection, and value Hobby Lobby offers.â€
Local dignitaries, ambassadors from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and other business leaders will attend the Monday morning celebration, a press release said.
Hobby Lobby has more than 700 stores across the nation, according to the press release. Each store offers more than 75,000 crafting and home decor products, including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, wearable art, arts and crafts, jewelry making, scrapbooking, and paper crafting supplies.
Store hours are Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All Hobby Lobby stores are closed on Sunday.
Several readers have asked if the store will open before Monday, perhaps in a “soft opening.”
Hobby Lobby Communications Coordinator Bob Miller said a store will sometimes have a “soft opening” early if it’s ready and those involved feel prepared, but it is not something the company can guarantee.
“I can tell you, we are eager to get the doors open and are looking forward to being a part of the community,” Miller said.
Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. is a private corporation based in Oklahoma City. It began as Greco, a miniature picture frame company, in 1970.
When David Green moved his business from the family home to a 300-square-foot retail space in 1972, Hobby Lobby was born, the press release said. It is the nation’s largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer.
For more information about Hobby Lobby, weekly specials, coupon offers, store locations, and online shopping, visit hobbylobby.com, download the mobile app, or follow the company on Facebook at facebook.com/hobbylobby.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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