BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
WARFIELD — Nearly seven months after floodwaters forced its doors shut and left residents driving miles for basic supplies, Warfield’s only supermarket will reopen Sept. 1 under a new name — Warfield Market — restoring a cornerstone of daily life for the community.
Floodwaters shuttered the store in mid-February, rising more than 5 feet high inside its walls and leaving behind mud and destruction. Following the flood, co-owner Brad Pack said the supermarket was a total loss, forcing residents to make long drives during the store’s recovery.
Customers are now in for a pleasant surprise.
“We completely gutted the store from the outside walls in,” Pack said, standing in a nearly rebuilt space earlier this week. “It has new insulation, interior walls, floor, ceiling tile, produce tables, deli equipment, meat equipment and completely refurbished coolers. We changed the layout of the store somewhat.”
Community interest in the store’s reopening has remained high throughout the recovery process, with customers frequently encouraging the owner. “Hurry, we need our store in this community,” some pleaded. Others said, “I can’t wait for it to reopen.”
“As the owner, it really warms my heart to know that they appreciate having the store,” Pack said, his voice edged with emotion.
The February flood marked the fifth time water has breached the building, with floods recorded in 1977, 1984, 2002, 2021 and now 2025.
“The ’77 flood was the worst, but this rivaled ’77,” Pack recalled.
FEMA has provided no aid so far.
“And insurance wasn’t enough,” Pack admitted. “But I think we’re going to make it.”
The supermarket, once branded under IGA, will now carry the Best Choice label, which Pack said matches the quality customers expect
The deli, bakery, custom butcher shop and produce department will all return at full capacity.
“It’s about as close to a new store as we could get,” Pack said with a smile. “It probably would have been easier to have torn it down and built it back from scratch.”
The supermarket has stood as an anchor in Warfield for more than seven decades. The Walker/Pack family has owned it since 1991, when Pack’s grandfather, Derle Walker, purchased the business from longtime grocer Dan Copley. Walker himself had been in the grocery business since 1959, running a supermarket in Inez until his passing in 2015.
Afterward, Pack and his mother, Judy Ousley, took the helm, carrying on the family’s reputation for service. A sense of continuity remains central to Pack’s outlook today.
“It’s been a great opportunity and honor to serve the community,” he said. “We are eager to reopen and see our customers again.”
The store is now hiring for cashier, carryout and other positions.
Earlier this week, Pack was waiting for a new front door and sign to arrive, but he said the store is ready to switch the lights back on come Sept. 1.
