Central’s Large Business of the Year

By Woody Jenkins.

CENTRAL — Oak Point Fresh Market was honored as Central’s Large Business of the Year at the 2nd annual Central Business Awards ceremonies at Elegant Memories.  The event was sponsored by the Central City News.

Oak Point is owned by the Sumich family.  School board member Jim Lloyd presented the award to store manager Jonathan Sumich.

Lloyd recounted how the Sumich’s family supermarket in Buras was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.  Their Delta Food Market was under 28 feet of water.   After the storm, the family decided to move to Watson and start a supermarket there.  Then when the A&P closed at the corner of Greenwell Springs and Sullivan, they decided to open a supermarket in Central.

Today, Oak Point Fresh Market is one of the best managed and most attractive supermarkets in the Baton Rouge area, Lloyd said.  He noted that Oak Point has already become a valued part of the Central community.

Lloyd said residents should pay special attention to the Christian atmosphere at Oak Point, such as scriptures on each aisle and the positive atmosphere in the store.  Oak Point played an important role in putting on last year’s Central prayer banquet, he said.

In accepting the award, Jonathan Sumich said his family has enjoyed meeting the people of Central.  “In fact, we liked it so much that we not only opened the store here but we moved our family to Central too!” he said.