FAIRHOPE — A new grocery store is set to open in the former Winn-Dixie in the Baldwin Square Shopping Center in Fairhope.

Located at 187 Baldwin Square, the store will operate under a new brand titled Apple Market, and the company is already in the process of setting up shop and hiring employees.

Owner Kamal Constantine, who also operates several Piggly Wiggly stores across Mobile and Baldwin counties, said following Winn-Dixie’s closure and negotiations, he was able to secure the building in Fairhope but opted to bring a new, locally grounded brand to the area rather than another big-name grocery store.

“We’re local, we support local, we like to do things locally, we hire local, and we promote a lot of local products,” Constantine said.

He chose the Apple Market name because they plan to be promoting a lot of produce, saying they will bring the best produce prices in both Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Constantine told GCM Apple Market will have a soft opening sometime next week with a grand opening planned for June.

Winn-Dixie closed earlier this year as part of a company restructuring, with its leaders saying they will be shifting focus to their home state of Florida.