It’s been 41 years since an Overwaitea or Save-On store operated in New Westminster. But it hasn’t been from a lack of trying.

“We’ve owned the company for 41 years and we’ve been trying to get a store here ever since then. For one reason or another we couldn’t get the right location or something didn’t work,” said Overwaitea Food Group owner Jim Pattison at Wednesday’s opening of the new Save-On Foods store at Westminster Centre on Sixth Street, also home to London Drugs.

When the doors of the 25,000 square-foot store opened Thursday it marked the return of the company to New West.

Its very first store was at 746 Columbia St. in New Westminster.

The store, opened in 1915, got its name from customers who dubbed it the Over-Weight-Tea store because it sold 18 ounces of tea for the price of 16. The name stuck and it was shortened to Overwaitea.

Russ Foster, 93, of New Westminster worked there as a young clerk and remembers store owner R.C. Kidd as a big, burly Irishman who had a courteous manner—even if a customer smoked in his store.

“He would say in his Irish brogue, ‘Would you mind stepping outside sir? You’re contaminating the tea, the coffee and the butter.’ He was courteous but he wasn’t going to put up with smoking where his tea and coffee were prepared,” said Foster, who lives a few blocks from the new store.

The original store closed and larger stores opened up in its place. In fact, at one time bustling New Westminster had four company stores operating simultaneously.

Eventually all were moved to the various Fraser Valley suburbs, leaving New Westminster with none.

But now that the grocery store chain has returned, it should be successful, said Westminster Centre property manager Bart Slotman, who predicts the store will have a ripple effect on surrounding businesses that will benefit from the customers Save-On attracts.

“Having another grocery store in town will help build a complete community. Right now I think a lot of people may not stay in New West to buy groceries,” said Slotman, also the president of the Uptown Business Association.

“There’s a lot of spinoff. This store will draw a huge number of people that other businesses around it will benefit from.”

The store will also provide almost 100 jobs.

As he wandered the store greeting customers and chomping on a carrot, Pattison said the store offers more to the city than an economic shot in the arm.

“Anytime we go into a community we try hard to fit in and accommodate the needs, wishes and wants of the people we serve,” said Pattison, whose company owns 119 stores in B.C. and Alberta. “And each community is unique so each of our stores has to be.”

• Save-On, located at 555 Sixth St. celebrates its grand opening all day Saturday.

mmcquillan@newwestnewsleader.com