The shelves are once again stocked. The freezers being filled. Over the next few days the meat, dairy and perishables will arrive.

Next Wednesday Nelson’s County Market grocery store will open, bringing a second grocery store to Albert Lea.

Nelson’s bought the store from Rainbow Foods, who filed for bankruptcy early this year.

The Nelson family had owned the store in the late 90’s, prior to Rainbow and ran it as a County Market grocery store.

Along with Albert Lea they are opening up a store in Faribault.

Nelson is happy to be getting back into groceries.

&uot;Since we sold the stores I’ve really missed the business,&uot; Chris Nelson, who co-owns the store with his brother Jay, said.

Rainbow’s closing put more than 100 people out of work. After a few months without a job, most have taken one at Nelson’s.

&uot;About 80 percent of the people we hired were former Rainbow employees,&uot; Nelson said.

Deb Trythen, who works in the floral department, did the same at Rainbow for one year. She’s glad to be back in the store with people she’s worked with.

&uot;Most everybody is back,&uot; she said.

Jason Legried, who was meat manager at Rainbow and will do the same at Nelson’s had been working at the store for four years when it closed, but said he didn’t worry when it did.

&uot;When they were going out of business we kind of figured that someone else would open a grocery store here,&uot; Legried said. &uot;They (the Nelsons) came to us just before it closed and told us they’d probably be opening a store soon.&uot;

Legried said he is happy to have the Nelsons as employers.

He said that Rainbow hired fewer employees.

&uot;It made it hard to serve people well,&uot; he said. &uot;In my opinion, (the Nelson’s) business is the opposite.&uot;

Nelson’s has hired 125 employees, and Nelson said he expects that number to grow to 175 over the next year.

For Legried, it’s just nice to have his job back.

&uot;I’m definitely happy to be here again,&uot; he said.

(Contact Peter Cox at peter.cox @albertleatribune.com or 379-3439.)