McLennan’s Lakeview Foods has been under new ownership since March 2018.
Abdul Hameed, formerly in the gas station business, moved with his family from Edmonton to take over the Lakeview Foods and has run the store under the same name and continued the store’s affiliation with its supplier The Grocery People (TGP).
When asked how he finds the transition from living in Edmonton to now running a business in McLennan and living in the Smoky River region, Abdul says, “It is a small town, you get to know everybody and the people are very friendly and very helpful.”
He says it is also important to support the local community and in that regard, counting fulltime and part-time staff, Lakeview Foods employs approximately 10 local people.
Lakeview Foods is a family business with Abdul and his daughter Maila being the primary ones involved in the day-to-day running of the store with Abdul working the office and Maila taking care of things outside in the store.
Along with groceries, meat and produce, which Abdul brings in twice a week to ensure quality and freshness, the store also has a bakery and a deli section with seating.
The deli offers coffee, sandwiches, fresh cut fruit, BBQ items and chicken to take out or eat in the deli.
“We don’t cook anything in a deep fryer we cook in a stone oven so all the oil and all the fat is out,” says Abdul.”
Soon, Indian dishes such as butter chicken, tandoori dishes and mutton, beef or chicken Biryani will be available on Fridays and if it proves popular the Indian food will be available as a regular item.
Lakeview foods carries a wide variety of grocery and household items, an inventory that matches larger stores while also offering favourable prices and its meat department has a longstanding and well established reputation for quality.
The bakery provides customers with fresh baked bread, cookies, confectionery and cake. Lakeview also takes orders for specially ordered cakes on birthdays and other special occasions.
The store has weekly specials that begin on Thursdays and other regular in-store promotions of which shoppers can also avail.
