Former Big M store in Watertown reopens as Tops

WATERTOWN — Tops Markets on Wednesday reopened the former Big M store in Watertown under the Tops brand banner.

The Watertown store, located at 1300 Washington St., was part of an acquisition of four Big M supermarkets in the Central New York region that closed in March, the grocer said in a news release.

The renovated store includes a new store-front, lobby, and interior décor, Tops said.

The grocer has expanded the store, which involved “upgraded” produce, bakery, and floral departments, along with expanded dairy and frozen-food sections.

“The team at this store has worked very hard to ensure that our customers will have a more enjoyable shopping experience as they see the many changes in the setting, amenities and wide variety of fresh products that our neighborhood store will offer,” Frank Curci, president and CEO of Tops Markets, said in the news release.

The store reopening follows the company’s Monday announcement that its management group had acquired the holding corporation from private investors at New York City–based Morgan Stanley Private Equity.

The completion of the transaction means that Tops is a “fully” locally owned and operated company, the company said in a Monday news release.

Headquartered in the Buffalo suburb of Williamsville, Tops Markets, LLC operates 159 supermarkets, including 154 company-owned and five franchise locations under the Tops banner.

The company employs more than 15,000 people in stores that are located in upstate New York, northern Pennsylvania, and western Vermont, the company said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

Photo Credit: Tops Friendly Markets Facebook page