WARSAW — Warsaw area shoppers have been clamoring for years to see a grocery store open up on the south side of the city, and it's now about to happen, but on a smaller scale. 

Owens Fresh Meat Market, which opened in Leesburg two years ago, is adding a second store on the south side of Warsaw just north of Warsaw Community High School.

The store will be on Fisher Avenue near Kincaid Street in a building that used to be home to Kendall Electric. 

Co-owner Christy Owens said they've been looking for a spot in Warsaw and had considered using part of the Old Marsh property before finding a spot further to the south.

She said the future operations won't have a butcher on staff, but will be similar to the store in Leesburg.

"I know we'll have a fresh meat counter in there, probably a deli, a grocery section ... like everybody wants," Owens said.

"Pretty close to what we have here up in Leesburg, it'll just be on a smaller scale," she said.

She said they could open for business "hopefully" in June.

The closing of the Marsh grocery store (nine years ago) and the Owen's Grocery store (no relation to the Leesburg store owners) in 2919 left a clear void for residents on the west and south sides of the city.

City leaders worked for years to attract a grocery store to the Marsh property at the corner of Winona Avenue and South Buffalo Street, for years with no luck because of the property's deteriorating condition.

At the same time, the company that owned the old Owen's property (Krogers) prevented other grocery stores from acquiring the land, which will soon be home to a new apartment complex.

Filling that void, Owens said, is part of the reason for expanding.

Kristy Owens said they were interested in using part of the Marsh property, which had been owned by the city of Warsaw before it was sold to a company that is redeveloping the building into a large antique mall, which is expected to open posskbly by the end of the year.

Ultimately, they learned of the Fisher Avenue opportunity, she said.

News of the expansion plans was announced earlier this week in a video posted by the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, which you can see here. The video attracted hundreds of positive comments and reactions.

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