Closed Searsport grocery store expected to reopen with new owner

Searsport grocery store Tozier’s Family Market, which abruptly closed last month , is expected to be sold to a new owner by the end of the week, according to the town manager.

Town Manager James Gillway said the prospective buyer, who he did not name, is in the final stages of buying the Route 1 grocery store and is expected to reopen the store in mid to late fall. The buyer lives in Maine and operates other stores in the state, Gillway said.

Tozier’s Family Market is owned by Dale and Mary-Jo Tozier, according to its website . Dale Tozier could not be reached for comment.

The prospective buyer plans to continue operating the grocery store, but will be changing the name and reconstructing a portion of the parking lot, Gillway said. The sidewalk outside the store is currently being rebuilt as part of a $17.8 million project to update a 2-mile stretch of Route 1, which resulted in the road through downtown Searsport being closed to southbound traffic for several months .

“A lot of people in Searsport are excited about it. They didn’t want to see it turn into something else,” Gillway said. “We need our neighborhood grocery store back. We really miss Dale and his family being here and taking care of us.”

The Tozier’s Family Market locations in Brewer and Bucksport are not part of the prospective sale, Gillway said.

Tozier’s Family Market at 87 S Main St. in Brewer closed last month . The Tozier family also owns and runs Tozier’s Market in Brewer at 483 S Main St., a smaller store that remains open, along with the grocery store in Bucksport.