Live Oak's new market

Barry Smith is thrilled to be back in Live Oak.

As store manager of the newly opened Tower Market at 9811 Live Oak Blvd., he is seeing a lot of familiar faces from his days working at King's Supermarket more than a decade ago.

"It's like coming home," Smith said. "Some kids I sold lunches to, they are bringing their kids in."

He hugged customers Tuesday as they came through the checkout line on opening day, and joked with one man about sharing morning coffee when the store opens at 5 a.m.

Tower Market aims to have it all, from pet food to Pedialyte, nails to noodles and socks to sandwiches, Smith said. The 8,000-square-foot store has a deli, meat department, produce section and walk-in beverage cooler.

"The community needed a place to shop," Smith said. "We just happened to bring along gas pumps."

Traffic has remained steady at the station's eight gas nozzles, which were offering fuel at $2.59 per gallon of regular unleaded Tuesday. Area manager Gary Defraga said he was not sure how long the price would last, since they are usually part of opening promotions, but Tower Market strives to offer competitive pricing.

Interest in the store has been high since the project broke ground four months ago, Defraga said. The store did not plan to open until later Tuesday, but so many people stopped by that employees started welcoming customers just after noon.

Brothers Gabe Davalos, 11, and Isaac Davalos, 8, eyed the fully stocked shelves with bright, wide eyes as they walked through the doors.

The store's opening, especially in this economy, is a big deal for Live Oak, a community not known for being wealthy, said their mother, Kitti Davalos. It was sure to attract residents' attention.

"Like us, we didn't need anything," she said. "We just came in to check it out."

The family tries to do most of its shopping locally, but it is sometimes difficult to find what it needs, Davalos said. She is most excited about Tower Market's fresh fruit and vegetables.

King's, farther north on Highway 99, is the only other store in town with a produce section. The Live Oak location, the 79th one in the chain, is one of the last Tower Markets to open this year, but the economy has not slowed expansion, Defraga said.

"We've got a footprint that works well and we're moving forward with it," he said.

Live Oak's niche market and spot on the Highway 99 corridor made it a viable location, said Nick Battaglia, general manager of owners Tower Energy Group.

"The site is so beautiful, it's a good gateway to the city there," he said.

Mayor Diane Hodges said the Tower Market will generate sales tax and is one more step toward the city's vision for the Highway 99 corridor.

"That is going to light that corner up and sidewalks all the way around makes a safer place for people to walk in that area," she said.

"Hopefully others will follow suit."

The city is working to clean up the dilapidated train depot across the street and a new traffic signal should be installed at Elm Street in the next few months, Hodges said.