The newly remodeled Beechwood Kroger, which is holding an open house from 6-9 p.m. today, is expected to offer customers plenty of fresh produce.

Prime-time parking spaces are hard to find at the remodeled Kroger in Hillcrest (614 N. Beechwood St., Little Rock). As a friend puts it: "Getting a parking space is like winning at slots. It can be kinda exciting."

The store, however, is spacious and inviting with gleaming stained concrete floors (the same friend says, "How about the new floor? Combined with the new shopping carts, it makes for some excellent handling. I careened around the store for an extra 30 minutes just for fun"), vastly wider aisles and improved signage to get you where you want to go.

Staff members are everywhere, including familiar faces from the store before it shut down in January for remodeling. 

The greatly expanded produce department is still to the left of the entrance (unlike most groceries, which route customers to the right). It's beautifully arranged, well lit, incredibly well stocked and easier to move around in. Bargains abound -- gala and Granny Smith apples for 88 cents a pound, asparagus for $1.97 a pound, Bartlett pears for 99 cents a pound, red grapes for 99 cents a pound.

Next you'll find a large staffed counter for prepared foods, a sushi station, a giant salad bar, a hot soup station, a cheese shop, and deli. Keep going and there's  the bakery, seafood counter and meat counter.

The rest of the store resembles its larger Kroger relatives such as the Heights and Markham Street locations. The only difference I noticed is the elimination of the bins that allow customers to buy a single bagel or roll. The house bagels are now sold four to a package (for $1.99).