Kenny Varady stocks the produce section of the new Bottom Dollar grocery store in the Bon Aire Plaza on Tuesday. The store, as well as another store at Butler Crossing on New Castle Road, will open Thursday.

BUTLER TWP — Despite the fact that Bottom Dollar's two stores were not open yet, Butler County customers flocked Tuesday to the new food stores.

They were getting the jump on filling out applications for Bottom Dollar's free membership cards at both the Bon Aire-Route 8 store and the Butler Crossing store on New Castle Road.

Both will hold grand openings Thursday with the first 200 customers receiving free reusable shopping bags of groceries.

Thursday's customers who come to the store between 8 to 9 a.m. also will have the chance to meet former Steelers L.C. Greenwood at the Bon Aire store and Randy Grossman at the Butler Crossing store.

Amy Lynch, the Bon Aire store manager, and Adria Bivens, a Bottom Dollar spokeswoman, toured the 18,000-square-foot store Tuesday as new employees learned the ropes and helped to fill shelves.

Lynch pointed out that the store offers full service with both national and private brands.

“This isn't a hit or miss when it comes to what's on the shelves,” Bivens said. “These are the items we carry.”

From the walk-in produce cooler, meant to keep apples and lettuce fresher, to the meat and dairy aisle to frozen foods, Bottom Dollar looks like a regular grocery store.

The only item that will be missing, similar to other discount stores, is that there are no baggers or plastic bags.

“Customers can use boxes to take their items home or can buy a reusable grocery bag, or bring their own,” Lynch said.

Bottom Dollar also offers lottery sales and Western Union services.

Each store employs about 35 people.

“We try to keep it simple. That's another way we keep costs down for our customers,” Lynch said.

As part of the Butler Township grand openings, Bottom Dollar is donating $500 to each of these schools: Broad Street Elementary, Butler Junior High, Butler High, Center Avenue Elementary, Emily Britton Elementary, McQuistion Elementary, Meridian Elementary and Northwest Elementary.

Lynch said once open, Bottom Dollar will continue to take an active role in the community with events such as Math Nights, when school or scout groups can come in and learn about budgeting and grocery shopping.

Customers with membership cards earn in-store coins that they can donate to the school of their choice. The schools will receive cash donations for projects, such as buying new computers or books, Bivens said.

“Our goal is to provide the best products and services to our customers in a store with a lighthearted atmosphere, like a community grocery store,” Lynch said.

Bottom Dollar is based in Salisbury, N.C., and is part of the Delhaize America Co., which also owns Food Lion, and is part of the larger company, Delhaize Group, based in Brussels, Belgium.