Dartmouth's Gateway Meat Market eyes big expansion

There's often a line of customers longer than the building outside Gateway Meat Market, and co-owner Tamara Selig wants to change that.

The Dartmouth store is well-known for its discounted prices and is now hoping to expand through a development proposal it submitted to the city in July.

"We're hoping to double the size of the building, which will give us a lot more retail space and more storage space," Selig said.

The expansion would be the store's fourth or fifth one since it opened in 2008 during the recession.

Fast forward to today's environment, high food costs and expensive housing have helped make Gateway a popular destination for people looking to save money.

Michelle MacLeod drives two hours from Tatamagouche, N.S., to do her shopping at Gateway. She said it's well worth the gas money in this economy.

"It's just so crazy right now, the prices," she said. "I work at a grocery store and I have to come here."

Sarah Sharpe, who has been shopping at Gateway for three years, welcomed the expansion news. She said she's been a loyal customer because of the prices.

"The price of groceries these days is skyrocketing," she said. "If I can save 50 per cent or even 25 per cent for my daughter and I it makes a huge difference."

Selig said the development proposal is in its second phase, a preliminary review.

She said the proposal's traffic study had to be redone because the city thought storage space was going to be an area for foot traffic. Selig said the store is willing to pay for a traffic light to be installed in front of the store to help alleviate congestion.

Bill Hulme, who has been shopping at the store for the last five years, would like to see it expanded.

"That's great because it just means probably more product and a little easier to get around the store because … it's a lineup to get in sometimes," he said.

An expansion would mark a drastically different Gateway than the one Selig purchased.

"We had four parking spots and one employee and my husband and I bought it and it was just one person we brought with us and it very quickly started growing and growing and we are now up to almost 80 staff and obviously more than four parking spots and a lot more customers," she said.

Selig said there are a few ways her business is able to keep prices so low, including smaller overhead and operating on smaller profit margins than larger retailers.

She said they buy from and negotiate with local suppliers and larger food producers — meaning they have cut out wholesalers and distributors.

"When we get great deals and we don't hesitate, we jump on them, they roll in and we price them accordingly and as inexpensively as possible to our customers just to keep things moving right out the door so that the next truck can start rolling in with the new deal," said Selig.

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