BONAIRE, Ga. — There was once just farmland along State Route 96. Now, it is a busy and bustling highway in Bonaire.
Houston County has had lots of commercial growth over the past 10-plus years, and on Friday, they celebrated another milestone.
The county has almost everything from Rigby's Water World and movie theatres to a new and improved Kroger Supermarket.
They just held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at The Shoppes at Houston Lake.
Altogether, it was a $2.7 million capital investment.
Victor Smith is the president of Kroger's Atlanta Division, and says without the community, the supermarket is just a building.
"The growth here is tremendous," Smith said. "It's significant. You got the military exposure as well, and it's really important for us to be in places like that because the need is there in order for us to really service the community. So when you see this opportunity, you have to take advantage of it. It is a partnership, so we are pleased to be partners in the community and we recognize it is a pretty big role to feed the community."
Tammie Young-Ennaemba is the manager of corporate affairs for Kroger’s Atlanta Division and says it is an investment in the community.
"In this particular Bonaire store, you can get everything from electronics to meat to groceries to baked goods, you got grocery pick-up, even Starbucks, you name it," Young-Ennaemba said. "Having growth in a community says that the community is alive and we want to be a part of making sure that we do our responsibilities and providing the shopping experience that meets that growth."
The Kroger Supermarket is one of the many things that have boosted the area's growth.
Across the street from State Route 96 is Georgia Bob's BBQ.
It opened in 2001, and Travis Ward is the owner.
"Over the last 20-25 years, it has massively increased. There's no doubt about it," Ward said.
He says growing up in the 90s, there wasn't much on the south side of town.
Now, Ward says the expansion has given him hope for the future.
"There was nothing on these roads, and to see how over the last 20 years it's blown up it's just crazy," Ward said. "My kids would never envision what I saw growing up on this side of town. I grew up on the north side of town, but there was nothing on this side of town like you didn't really come out here that often."
For Ward to still have loyal customers come in every day after 20-plus years, he says he knows this is the community he is meant to serve.
"As a local business owner, every penny that comes in here, I'm spending it back into the local market as well so when you buy local you support local and the money stays local and everything goes well."
Kroger is partnering with Lake Joy Elementary School, Feagin Mill Middle School, and Houston County High School.
Kroger is also partnering with the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank.