{"id":1494,"date":"2018-02-14T18:22:57","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T18:22:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/?p=1494"},"modified":"2018-02-14T18:23:46","modified_gmt":"2018-02-14T18:23:46","slug":"fort-benning-exchange-celebrates-grand-reopening-of-revamped-mini-mall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2018\/02\/14\/fort-benning-exchange-celebrates-grand-reopening-of-revamped-mini-mall\/","title":{"rendered":"Fort Benning Exchange Celebrates Grand Reopening of Revamped Mini Mall"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"FORT BENNING \u2013 <\/strong>The Army & Air Force Exchange Service unveiled a modern shopping and dining experience at Fort Benning, cutting the ribbon on the revamped Main Post Mini Mall on Feb. 14.<\/p>\n

Army Col. Clinton Cox, Fort Benning garrison commander, joined Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, Exchange senior enlisted advisor, in celebrating the $1.7 million upgrade to the nearly 26,000-square-foot store<\/a>, which features an Express, a mall with eight stores, two restaurants and a dry cleaners with alterations. The renovation is the first since the mini mall opened in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Exchange is \u2018family serving family,\u2019 and this modern store allows the Exchange to serve our Fort Benning family even better than before,\u201d Reyes said. \u201cThis store is a symbol of our dedication to meeting the needs of Soldiers who call Fort Benning home.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a partner in the Healthy Army Community initiative under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Exchange is dedicated to supporting troop readiness and resiliency with better-for-you choices at its restaurants and Express locations.<\/p>\n

Benning\u2019s updated mini mall features Qdoba Mexican Eats, which offers tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, nachos, tortilla soup and more. Entr\u00e9es can be made with better-for-you ingredients such as fresh vegetables, whole-wheat tortillas and grilled chicken, with several meal combinations having fewer than 500 calories.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a Qdoba when I was at Fort Carson, so it\u2019s exciting to see one added at Benning,\u201d said Spc. Jacob Regan Task Force 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment. \u201cOverall, I\u2019m very satisfied with the renovation. Adding more options for Soldiers and families improves their quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shoppers can also find a full assortment of BE FIT-approved entr\u00e9es and snacks in the updated Express, including fresh fruit, yogurt and gluten-free meat snacks. All BE FIT-approved entr\u00e9es have fewer than 500 calories, while BE FIT-approved snacks have fewer than 200 calories. Soldiers can find more better-for-you options, such as wraps, salads, hummus and hard-boiled eggs, in the reach-in cooler in the middle of the store.<\/p>\n

Both the mall and Express feature the Exchange\u2019s most up-to-date design, including new exteriors, signing, paint and fixtures. All store facades have been upgraded and rebranded, and the Express boasts an improved layout that moves the cash registers from the middle of the sales floor to the left of the store\u2019s front entrance, maximizing convenience. The revamped Express is the second of its kind in the world, preceded by the Big Red 1 Express at Fort Riley, Ky.<\/p>\n

The Express also features an expanded selection of Military Clothing items and Fort Benning souvenirs, as well as a refreshed Snack Avenue. For hot food on the go, Soldiers and families can also enjoy two new quick-serve dining options: Hunt Brothers Pizza and J. Walken Chicken.<\/p>\n

The redesigned mini mall was paid for entirely by Exchange earnings, making the upgrade a direct result of Soldiers and Army family members shopping and dining with the Exchange.<\/p>\n

In addition to new and renovated stores, 100 percent of Exchange earnings support Quality-of-Life programs including military uniforms at cost; school lunches below cost for Warfighters\u2019 children overseas; Youth Programs; Fitness Centers; and career opportunities for spouses, Veterans and Wounded Warriors (The Exchange has hired 1,000 Wounded Warriors since 2010\u2014second only to the Army.). Supported programs at Benning include Child Development Centers, the Audie Murphy Athlete Performance Center, the Briant Wells Indoor Pool and many others essential for readiness and resiliency.<\/p>\n

The Fort Benning mini mall is at 103 Ingersoll St., Building 103. The Express is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Qdoba and Charleys Philly Steaks are open from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Mall concessionaire hours may vary. For more information, call 706-682-0473.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Facebook-Friendly Version:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service unveiled a modern shopping and dining experience at Fort Benning, cutting the ribbon on the revamped Main Post Mini Mall on Feb. 14. Read more: http:\/\/bit.ly\/2Hh7ycm<\/a>.<\/p>\n

— 30 —<\/p>\n

Since 1895, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (Exchange) has gone where Soldiers, Airmen and their families go to improve the quality of their lives by providing valued goods and services at exclusive military pricing. As the 56th-largest retailer in the United States, Exchange earnings provided $2.4 billion in dividends to support military morale, welfare and recreation programs over the last 10 years. The Exchange is a non-appropriated fund entity of the Department of Defense and is directed by a Board of Directors. To find out more about the Exchange history and mission or to view recent press releases please visit our Web site at http:\/\/www.shopmyexchange.com<\/a> or follow us on Twitter at https:\/\/twitter.com\/ExchangePAO<\/a>.<\/p>\n

###<\/p>\n

Media Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more information or to schedule an interview with an Exchange representative please contact Conner Hammett, 214-312-2714 or hammettc@aafes.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Follow the Exchange:
\nFacebook:\u00a0 www.facebook.com\/shopmyexchange
\n<\/a>Twitter:\u00a0 https:\/\/twitter.com\/shopmyexchange
\n<\/a>Instagram: @shopmyexchange<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FORT BENNING \u2013 The Army & Air Force Exchange Service unveiled a modern shopping and dining experience at Fort Benning, cutting the ribbon on the revamped Main Post Mini Mall on Feb. 14. Army Col. Clinton Cox, Fort Benning garrison commander, joined Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, Exchange senior enlisted advisor, in celebrating […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":1492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1494","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press_releases"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2018\/02\/14\/fort-benning-exchange-celebrates-grand-reopening-of-revamped-mini-mall\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Fort Benning Exchange Celebrates Grand Reopening of Revamped Mini Mall","url":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2018\/02\/14\/fort-benning-exchange-celebrates-grand-reopening-of-revamped-mini-mall\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/2018\/02\/14\/fort-benning-exchange-celebrates-grand-reopening-of-revamped-mini-mall\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/DSC_0372-e1518632552382.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/publicaffairs-sme.com\/ExchangePost\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2018\/02\/DSC_0372-e1518632552382.jpg"},"articleSection":"Press Releases","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Marisa Conner"}],"creator":["Marisa Conner"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Exchange Newsroom","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2018-02-14T18:22:57Z","datePublished":"2018-02-14T18:22:57Z","dateModified":"2018-02-14T18:23:46Z"},"rendered":"