New Giant with 'Beer Garden' Opens

Giant Food Stores will open its newest store today in Flourtown.

The new 76,000 square-foot store on Bethlehem Pike will open its doors to the public at 8 a.m. — adjacent to the old Giant store.

The new store is the latest design for Giant, according to Giant Food Stores Director of Marketing John MacDonald, and includes things like low-maintenance floors, skylights and warm color tones.

But perhaps the most inviting feature of the new Giant is the store’s “beer garden.”

MacDonald said unlike in the past, the beer section of the store is prominently displayed; it’s immediately on the left when you enter the store.

MacDonald said customers will be able to buy beer (including craft beer), create-a-six-pack (you can leave the store with two 6-packs), or even drink a beer in the store.

The beer garden is nicely integrated into the prepared food section of the store, which Giant calls the “Eatery,” seats about 30 people and offers free WiFi. It’s only the tenth beer garden in Giant’s range of stores.

The new Giant store will be open 24 hours a day and will offer things like an in-store nutritionist, a butcher shop, a bakery, a large deli offering prepared foods and a floral section.

The Flourtown Giant is also pursuing its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification. It features 99 skylights to help reduce electricity consumption, LEDs throughout the store and energy efficient refrigerators and freezers.

The grand opening festivities will take place Wednesday, Dec. 11 and will feature the Mummers from 8 to 9:30 a.m. and the Phillie Phanatic from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The store is located at 1874 Bethlehem Pike.