Bob’s Liquor and Food on West J Street now offers healthier choices for customers. The store underwent a more nutritious makeover as part of California’s “Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community” campaign. (Photo by Elizabeth Warnimont)

Bob’s Liquor and Food of Benicia has received only positive feedback on the changes made to the store during the “Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community” makeover that took place in May. Owner Baljit Kaur is pleased with the changes and her customers’ response, she told the Herald Wednesday. * “It looks nicer,” she said, “much better than it was before.” In addition to added food items, the makeover also included extra touches including some new landscaping to improve the store’s curb appeal.
Gone are all the candy items near check-out and the prominent posters advertising cigarettes and alcohol. In their place are healthier snack items like nuts and organic snack bars, along with baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables and new posters encouraging shoppers to “make a good choice.” More juices and other healthy beverages are now available in the refrigerator section, along with additional organic fresh food selections.
“I will be making some adjustments,” Kaur said, for example keeping some of the produce in the refrigerator. Bananas, perhaps the best-selling produce item, tend to get overly ripe between weekly deliveries, so she will begin requesting that half the bananas be delivered in a greener state, to ripen later in the week.
“I sold three dozen bananas in three days,” she said of the item’s surprising popularity.
“I let them know I will be happy to help with the next store’s makeover,” Kaur said. She is thankful for all the people who came to help with her store’s remodel and wants to give back.
“Healthy Stores for a Healthy Community” is a statewide initiative being led by local public health agencies throughout California who are working with local merchants such as Bob’s to make healthy changes to their stores. Bob’s was the first in Solano County to undergo the makeover.

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