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Clear skies. Low 54F. Winds light and variable..

Clear skies. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.

The newly reconstructed Beacon & Bridge in downtown Linden includes eight gas pumps on the south side of the property. 

The Beacon & Bridge convenience store, which fronts E. Broad Street, is 2,592 square feet and two stories tall. 

The newly reconstructed Beacon & Bridge in downtown Linden includes eight gas pumps on the south side of the property. 

The Beacon & Bridge convenience store, which fronts E. Broad Street, is 2,592 square feet and two stories tall. 

 Linden — Friday, July 1 was a memorable day for Linden residents and Beacon & Bridge Market. 

 It was the soft opening for the newly redeveloped, two-story convenience store and gas station that reopened after approximately 13 months. Drivers now have another location to purchase gasoline. 

 The convenience store, which used to be a one-story 2,240-square-foot structure, is now 2,592 square feet. It was moved from the south side to the north side of the property. There are eight gas pumps instead of four, and the pumps are now located on the southern portion.  

 Eric Patterson, merchandising and marketing manager for Beacon & Bridge, said they’re still waiting on materials to finish the canopy, but other than that, the gas pumps are running and the convenience store is open. He expects the materials to arrive the week of Aug. 8. 

 “It is challenging as a convenience store company because when you’re down for that long, it’s hard to get customers back,” he said, adding that customer habits shifted when the store closed. 

 They’re working on ways to get customers back, including lower gas prices.

 “We came out of the gate pretty aggressive with gas prices to incentivize customers to come back to us,” Patterson said. “It was a ‘thank you’ for being loyal to Beacon & Bridge.”

 Initially, they had a few bugs and an issue with the filtration system, but operations are running smoothly now. 

 They opened the convenience store with approximately 85 to 90% of product lines they plan to carry. They scaled back at first due to the small size of the store, and they expect to bring in more products such as live bait and newspapers. Patterson said they also plan to carry more Michigan-made items. 

 “It’s pretty exciting,” he said. 

 The top floor of the building is the manager’s office and storage.

 “It’s great to witness the process from start to finish and see what it was before the remodel, then see it empty, then the final project coming to life,” said Patterson, who’s worked at Beacon & Bridge for four years. “It’s always fun to watch and it’s fun to be a part of it and see all the hard work that everyone puts in. We’re super appreciative of the people of Linden. Everyone’s been really patient.”

 He sent a big “thank you” to the Linden community for coming back to the gas station and store. They’re planning to have a grand reopening closer to Labor Day where they will have giveaways and activities. 

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