Struggles and Strength: Inside the Piggly Wiggly #71 Battle to Serve Lakeland Amid Staffing and Sanitation Challenges

By Carol A. Moore |

A Grocery Store at the Crossroads

LAKELAND, Lanier County, Georgia – Running a grocery store has never been easy, but in Lakeland, Georgia, the Piggly Wiggly #71 has become the frontline of a quiet, exhausting battle: balancing customer satisfaction, health compliance, and reliable staffing—all while facing down the forces of nature and neglect.

Located in a sprawling 53,000-square-foot building, Piggly Wiggly #71 is owned by Lanier Grocery LLC, whose registered agent is David Blevins of Valdosta. The store is part of a larger network of Georgia grocery stores owned by Ashley and Missy Thompson, well-known names in the regional grocery industry.

Yet, despite experienced leadership, the store has found itself under scrutiny. Sparked by mounting customer complaints, the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s District 3 Investigative Team began examining the store this year. Their investigation revealed troubling signs: issues with pest control and areas of health code noncompliance—issues that are unfortunately far too common in the grocery industry, especially when critical service partners falter.

The Rodent Problem: A Matter of Service and Accountability

The trigger for the state’s involvement was both customer reports and internal staff concerns. A keen-eyed manager at Piggly Wiggly #71, disturbed by pest sightings and erratic service visits, investigated the situation. It turned out the store’s pest control contractor had become increasingly irregular in its service, opening the door—literally and figuratively—for rodents to move in.

The pest control company has since reassigned a new serviceperson to the Piggly Wiggly account. Early reports suggest that this change is beginning to make a positive difference. In the meantime, the Georgia Department of Agriculture has kept a close watch.

Two site evaluations were conducted, on June 12 and June 26, both confirming areas of noncompliance, as acknowledged by GDA Communications Director Matthew Agvenc. However, Agvenc emphasized that “Piggly Wiggly is making a good faith effort to improve the store’s health and safety conditions.” These efforts will be reassessed during a follow-up inspection scheduled for the week of July 14.

A Manager’s Determination

Despite the swirling investigations, the store’s management remains committed. In a recent interview, the store’s manager reaffirmed the team’s mission: “We are focused on creating a great store environment, free of concerns, so we can best serve our customers’ food needs.”

Behind the counter, this mission means long hours, extra cleaning shifts, and a continual hunt for reliable employees and service providers—a daunting task in today’s labor market.

A Wild Card: The Vacant Lot Next Door

Adding complexity to the pest issue is a nearby vacant lot, just north of the store. Once a nursery, the property was sold by Debra Kent in 2023 to Darien Grocery LLC, then later acquired by Lanier Grocery LLC. Today, the site is overgrown, its once lush plant beds now an untamed wilderness—a haven for displaced wildlife.

The store’s staff and customers suspect the overgrown plant lot is part of the rodent problem. With Hurricane Hellene displacing animals from their usual habitats, this green jungle has become a magnet for critters—especially with nearby restaurants and a grocery store offering shelter and food.

It is thought that the store’s owners are considering clearing the lot to expand parking and, perhaps more importantly, to eliminate the haven that seems to be funneling rodents toward the grocery.

The Bigger Picture: Staffing Woes and the Heart of the Matter

Beneath the specific troubles lies a more universal struggle: finding and keeping good help. From pest control providers to store clerks, dependable staff have become a rare commodity. It’s not just a Lakeland problem—it’s a rural Georgia problem. Grocery stores across the state report similar challenges.

For Piggly Wiggly #71, each gap in staffing magnifies its other issues. One unreliable service visit can trigger a chain reaction—health risks, customer complaints, investigations. It’s a brutal calculus in a business where margins are thin and reputations are fragile.

Moving Forward

Despite the setbacks, Piggly Wiggly #71 is fighting to move forward. The store has made visible efforts to clean up, communicate with customers, and ensure transparency with regulatory agencies. The community has taken notice.

Whether the store can continue to navigate these challenges may depend not only on inspections and property improvements, but on its ability to retain people who care. In the end, it’s the human element—managers who investigate, workers who stay, and service providers who show up—that will determine whether the store can thrive.

The coming weeks, especially the mid-July state reinspection, will mark a pivotal moment in the store’s road to recovery. But for now, it stands as a powerful example of how hard it is to run a grocery store today—and how important it is to keep fighting anyway.