A long–awaited dream is becoming reality in McLeansboro as Brian Kingery prepares to open Little Giant Jr. at the former Food Park location, 309 Randolph Street. The store will hold a soft opening this Saturday, marking the continuation of a vision that dates back to the 1970s.
The Kingery family has deep roots in the grocery business. After operating Kingery and Associates Grocery Wholesale for eight years, they opened Little Giant Grocery in Carmi in 2000, built on a mission not just to sell food, but to serve their community. Little Giant Jr. will carry that same philosophy into McLeansboro.
For now, Little Giant Jr. will operate under the traditional McLeansboro hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., but plans are in place to adopt the Carmi store’s schedule of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily in the near future.
The new store will also soon feature its own “giant.” While Carmi’s iconic statue stands around 30 feet tall, Little Giant Jr. will showcase a smaller, 7-foot version after the new year.