Options for a late night snack or refreshment in St. Helens are pretty limited, but after years of development, a new market has opened and it aims to serve the community at all hours.
American Market, located at 115 N 18th St. in St. Helens, opened April 24 and will be open 24 hours a day. Once the home of an arcade, the space will now feature one of the only all-day operations in St. Helens.
Manpreet Singh is the owner of American Market, and he was inspired to open the store when he visited St. Helens and felt there were no businesses offering late-night service. American Market is a convenience store that not only sells snacks and beverages but also non-over-the-counter medicines and some grocery items too.
“We are open 24 hours. Going down the road, I didn’t see anything open at night time around here,” Singh said. “Maybe some kids need medicine, or something like that. If anybody needs something, where are they going to go? That’s why we think 24-hour is the best idea. We support the people by always being here.”
The market has shelves laden with chips, beef jerky, candy, and coolers and refrigerators packed with drinks and beer. The market will also have a hot deli, milkshake machine, and Icee machine.
It’s been a long journey to get here. Singh bought the building in 2020, and now, almost four years later, he has passed the final inspection from the City of St. Helens.
“[It’s a] relief. Thank god, you know? We finally are there,” Singh said. “It’s been almost four years.”
To convert the arcade to his new store, he needed to make many renovations. Singh said they needed to install new walls, update the roofing, install new lighting, and install the equipment for the store. Singh said he has invested “almost a couple million” into the development.
Singh owns another American Market location in Hubbard, OR, but he is excited to get to work at his new store. To staff the store, he is hiring a “couple of employees” to help keep his new all-day venture fully manned. Singh will be up at the store every day as he gets it off the ground, but he said down the road he wants to make sure he has employees he can rely on.
The half of the building that faces Columbia Boulevard is also under renovation, but Singh said he hasn’t decided what the new space will house yet.
As American Market settles into its new location, Singh wants to make sure the community knows the market is there for them.
“I want to be nice in the neighborhood, so I hope the neighborhood supports me too,” Singh said.
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