Maxwell’s opens location in Mandeville Walmart

Maxwell’s Market has opened a meat and seafood counter inside the Walmart Neighborhood Market in Mandeville. Ron Lewis, who owns Maxwell’s, says Walmart officials approached him about locating in the store. Walmart has launched a pilot program of partnering with local grocery stores as a way of customizing its smaller Neighborhood Market stores, Lewis says. “We figured it would be a good opportunity for us,” he says. “Mandeville is a market we’re trying to reach.” The counter sells fresh premium products. The Neighborhood Market opened last week, but Lewis says he’s gotten some good responses so far. “There were a couple of customers that I recognized in there, and their eyes kind of lit up when they saw our sign,” Lewis says. The counter could lead to a full-size Maxwell’s store in Mandeville, or smaller locations in other Neighborhood Markets, Lewis says. Maxwell’s is scheduled to open its third Baton Rouge location in early December on Highland Road.—Timothy Boone