The Powell family lost both their home and their business when the Camp Fire tore through the small town last November. They owned and operated the Grocery Outlet in Paradise for three years.
“We, unfortunately, lost everything that we had both personally and professionally,” said Jessi Powell. “One of the hardest things about that loss was our team of 37 people and the community of Paradise that we had the honor of serving.”
Jessi and her husband Greg Powell said they moved to Grants Pass in December. They said an opportunity came up to own and operate the Grocery Outlet in Grants Pass. As of Thursday, they are now the new owners.
“Following the footsteps of Glenn and Lesley Parks is an honor,” she said.
With about 30 employees at the Grants Pass location, many employees are excited about the new change.
“It’ll be fun to see what’s happening to the whole store,” said Andrew Kelso, an employee with Grocery Outlet. “It’ll be exciting to see the changes that are to come and they’re all going to be good,” he said.
The new owners said their focus is on the expansion of their natural selection of fresh produce and meat.
“We just love having organic options,” said customer Adam Larue.
The Powell’s said they hope to give back to the community they serve too.
“We had a food packing program in Paradise where we would pack bags for local school children,” Jessi said. “We raised money for them in July and we would like to talk to the school district about continuing that type of program here.”
While their journey to southern Oregon has been difficult, they are looking forward to what lies ahead.
“We can come here to another beautiful small town and continue being stewards of the community and that’s the greatest gift of all of this. It’s the silver lining that our stories not over, it’s just a new chapter.”
Jessi and Greg moved to Grants Pass with their son. Luckily, the family did have insurance to cover their losses.
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