Rosauers gets a gala welcome in Pullman

The Pullman community will no longer have to fret about melted ice cream after a new supermarket opened Wednesday in a familiar location at 1205 N. Grand Ave.

“There’s no reason to go to the south side of Pullman for groceries anymore,” Rosauers President and CEO Cliff Rigsbee said.

Hundreds gathered on Rosauers’ freshly paved parking lot Wednesday morning, awaiting a peek into the store’s newly stocked two floors.

Once the ribbon was snipped, customers flooded the entrance and were welcomed with free cake, flowers and grilled cheese sandwiches, courtesy of the Franz Bakery food truck.

The grand opening attracted a few celebrities to the area. Former Washington State University quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien made an appearance, as well as WSU mascot Butch.

Over the past year, Rosauers has been remodeling the structure where Dissmore’s IGA previously stood.

Dissmore’s had been a part of the community for more than 85 years and became a Pullman landmark, watching WSU grow and parts of town develop around it.

The local grocery store was started in 1937 by the Dissmore family, which ran it for three generations. It was bought by Tidyman’s, a Spokane-based grocery owner and operator, in 1998 and was last purchased by Archie and Shelley McGregor in 2006.

After owning it for 16 years, the McGregors closed the store in late July 2022, weeks after announcing they were selling the location to Rosauers.

Both the McGregors attended the Rosauers opening, and said they welcome the store to the Pullman area with open arms.

“It’s what the north end of town needed,” Archie McGregor said. “The community deserves this.”

Shelley McGregor said she and Archie made a point to get a local, independent grocer to take over the space.

Rosauers is a family-started business that opened its first location in Spokane in the 1930s. Since then, it’s been able to expand into Idaho, Montana, Oregon and other parts of Washington.

Shelly McGregor added that she and her husband wanted a business that supports the community and will give back to Pullman. They’re grateful to Dede Boone, who manages the property and is the daughter of the late Del and Mid Rowland, the former owners.

They “are a silent hero in the Palouse,” Shelley McGregor said. “They’re very generous and have always taken care of the communities they’re in, and this will allow that to continue.”

Rigsbee said Rosauers is here to take care of Pullman, and has currently hired around 130 people. He said the store is small enough to support its employees and customers, but large enough to support the community’s needs.

Rigsbee said Rosauers is here to take care of Pullman, and has hired around 130 people. He said the store is small enough to support its employees and customers, but large enough to support the community’s needs.

He said the new location is complete with large upstairs seating with free Wi-Fi and computer charging stations, fresh produce from local farms and exclusive Spiceology seasonings in the meat department.

There are many grab-and-go food options, he added, like the burrito/taco bar, acai bar, freshly rolled sushi, coffee/juice bar, hot pizza and a build-your-own ice cream bar. He said about 5,000 Huckleberry Natural Market products are stocked in the aisles.

The supermarket has been gaining national attention for having the largest beer cave in the Pacific Northwest. The “Brew Lab” spans 2,000 square feet and has over 1,000 options to choose from.

Deb McNeil, Pullman mayoral candidate, stopped by to see the grand opening. She said she’s glad to have more opportunities for groceries, and is happy a locally owned store took Dissmore’s place.

“We always enjoyed coming to Dissmore’s,” McNeil said. “They got to know us and we got to know them. It’s nice to go somewhere where everyone knows you, and we’re excited for that to still happen.”

Mike and Susan Poch, of Pullman, said they’re happy to have a grocery store close to home. Susan said they’ve been living in town for 50 years, and it’s been hard without Dissmore’s or a grocery store on the north side of town.

“Pullman’s not that big, but 15 minutes across town is enough to make ice cream melt in the summer,” Susan said. “We’re excited to have a grocery store closer, but more because Rosausers can offer a lot as a small grocer compared to something bigger.”

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com