BEMENT – Trish and Jim Fritz of Bement broke ground at 900 N. Macon St. for their new grocery store, JTA Foods Inc., on Monday in front of a crowd of friends, family and community members. The village has been without a grocery store for over a year after a store downtown closed its doors.

"You don't know what you're missing until it's gone," Jim Fritz said. "We're very excited to be opening a store in Bement."

Just one month after the last grocery store closed, Fritz, who traveled extensively for his last job, was in Washington when he decided traveling across the country was no longer feasible with a wife and kindergartner at home.

"I wanted to stay ... with my family," he said.

After presenting the grocery-store idea to his wife, the couple contacted the Bement grocery store's previous manager, who was more than helpful with ideas and advice for the venture.

His guidance and help from the State Bank of Bement allowed the dream to become a reality.

Graber & Sons Construction will begin work on the 6,000-square-foot building this week. The red-and-white building will house a meat department, dry goods and a small deli. The Fritzes hope to open in October. The couple has no previous experience running a grocery store. Trish's first job was working at one.

"It is going to be a learning experience. There will be bumps down the road, but hopefully everyone can be patient," Jim Fritz said.

Bement Area Chamber of Commerce Director Tabitha Elder said the groundbreaking was "extremely exciting" for the community.

"It's very difficult to be a functioning community without a grocery store. We have such a supportive community that try to spend their money in Bement," Elder said. "It's going to be huge for the town."