At 8 a.m. Saturday morning, an eager line of customers awaited the Dollar General’s grand opening at 2561 Detroit Road in Howard Township.

“I wanted to be one of the first 50 customers,” said Amy Monroe, of Pokagon, from her place in line. 

Having succeeded, Monroe said she would be picking up a couple of things from the new store.

Since November, the 9,100 square foot store has been under construction and officially opened its doors for business on April 19.

Customers who attended the grand opening were privy to a variety of deals. The first 50 to arrive on Saturday received a $10 gift card, and the first 200 customers received a complimentary tote bag, stocked with free store samples.

The Dollar General sells health and beauty products, as well as housewares, stationery, seasonal items, basic clothing, and packaged, refrigerated and frozen food.

But deals were only part of the enticement for many of the customers who arrived at the early hour Saturday.

Diann Greene, of Niles, who was among the first 50 to arrive at the store, said this was not her first time perusing the aisles.

“I love it,” Greene said. “I have been in here about seven times already [since the store opened].”

Greene said she enjoyed the fair prices, and was there to purchase some items to dress up her yard, including some wind chimes.

Greene said she had visited the store so many times because it was a convenient stop on her drive home from work.

“We need more stores out here like this,” Greene said. “This is the main highway [M-60].”

Just a few aisles over, Debbie Johnson shopped with her mother Wanda Ellis, both of Niles.

“This is really nice for Howard Township,” Johnson said.

Both her and Ellis said they had seen the store under construction off of the highway. Now that the store is open, Johnson said she is hoping there might be a draw for more businesses to open up shop along the highway.

Johnson, a former Cass County commissioner, said she thought the new Dollar General could help the economy by bringing up the tax base and providing more jobs.

In an earlier interview, Crystal Ghassemi, a spokeswoman for the Dollar General’s corporate office, said that the store would hire between six and 10 employees, with three of those positions being full-time.

The manager of the newest location declined to comment or provide her name, but she described traffic to the store in the past couple weeks as “good.”

According to the Dollar General’s website, there are 12,500 Dollar Generals located through out 43 states.

The store at 2561 Detroit Road is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Sunday.

What to know:

HOURS: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Sunday

WHERE: 2561 Detroit Road, Howard Township

INFO: dollargeneral.com