A gubernatorial stop in Saugus

Gov. Healey helps celebrate the Big Y success and its future opening of a new store on Route 1 in Saugus

By Mark E. Vogler

Governor Maura Healey made a special stop on Route 1 in Saugus Tuesday – to help celebrate nine decades of success of Big Y Foods in Massachusetts and the anticipated August opening of a Big Y grocery store in Saugus.

“Big Y is a Massachusetts success story — homegrown and family-owned for 90 years,” Healey said in a social media post. “Their 80th store in Saugus is part of a major investment that’ll create 750 jobs and bring affordable food to neighborhoods across our state.”

Gov. Healey joined state legislators, local officials and company executives at the future Saugus store site at 357 Broadway (Route 1 South) in the Saugus Plaza Shopping Center to talk about Big Y’s growth, its state roots and the hundreds of new jobs that its expansion will be creating in the coming months. The governor had the honor of cutting a ceremonial cake baked for the occasion as the Springfield-based, family-owned grocery store chain celebrated the opening of six new stores throughout eastern and northeastern Massachusetts.

“Big Y is known for being a family market, where they are a Massachusetts based employer, investor and community partner,” Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta told The Saugus Advocate.

“I am happy that our community will now have another grocery store for their shopping convenience,” she said. Panetta was among the local officials who gathered at the site of the future grocery store.

“They are currently planning a soft opening on Aug. 4, followed by their official grand opening on Aug. 20th,” she added.

The future grocery store opening marks the return of Big Y to Saugus. Its last store in Saugus closed about five years ago after having opened on Route 1 in Saugus in 2016. The building at 357 Broadway was supposed to house an Amazon Fresh grocery store, which never opened.

Panetta noted that “the speakers were very enthusiastic about coming back to Saugus” and cited the company’s commitment to the state. “They have over 10,000 employees across Massachusetts and Connecticut. They have local partnerships, more than 250 Massachusetts based local partners, generating over 125 million in local sales.”

“Big Y continues to invest in Massachusetts communities through new store development and infrastructure expansion,” she said.

That Massachusetts expansion includes stores that opened in Uxbridge and Westborough last year, the stores planned for Pembroke and Saugus this year and the stores scheduled to open in Fairhaven and North Dartmouth next year. “Big Y, Your Family Market, is thrilled to expand its presence in Eastern Massachusetts with a new store in Saugus, bringing even more quality, variety and community connection to the region,” a company spokesman said.

Founded in 1936 by brothers Paul and Gerald D’Amour, the store takes its name from an intersection in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where two roads converge to form a “Y.” With more than 10,000 employees, Big Y operates supermarkets, Table & Vine fine wine, beer and liquor stores and Big Y Express fuel and convenience locations.

“Renowned for its commitment to people and purpose, Big Y has earned recognition from Forbes as a Best-In-State Employer in Massachusetts and Connecticut for seven straight years and from Newsweek as one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies for three years running,” according to company promotional material.