Magnolia Grocery opening in 2026

By Editor | January 13, 2026 |

Magnolia Grocery opening in 2026
By Pam Keaton
Walthall County EDA
Construction is scheduled to start mid-February for the new grocery store. On Monday, Jan. 6, 2026, Tony Almisari, with M & A Real Estate, attended the monthly board meeting of the Walthall County Board of Supervisors to go over a few of the unforeseen challenges he’s encountered while sourcing equipment and selecting a company to handle the layout as well as provide wholesale groceries. He explained that some of the costs came in higher than anticipated, but he’s ready to move forward and feels it should progress rapidly from this point on.
The supervisors expressed their appreciation of the company investing in the community and like many residents, they look forward to having a grocery in downtown Tylertown. When the supervisors sold the building on Jan. 31, 2025 all parties anticipated the store being open within a year. Going forward, the company will provide quarterly reports that outline the completed work in relation to a timeline that will be provided at the Jan. 21, 2026 meeting.
The team from Associated Grocers were in town on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2026 and inked the contract that includes the final design part of the project. The layout and equipment needed have already been established.
Associated Grocers has a local connection through Bart Palmisano who retired from there as a high-level executive. In August, Bart met with the building owners and contacted some of his connections currently serving in upper management and encouraged them to start the process. Bart is married to Patricia Palmisano, who owns The Magnolia House, along with their daughter, Kim Allen.
Erick Kennedy, with Kennedy Electrical Services handled the LED lighting retrofit. The bright lights against refinished floors are a glimpse into the vision expressed by the new owner about creating a nice, modern store with competitive prices of well-known products, fresh produce, meat, and groceries.
Mayor Ed Hughes has been pushing for a grocery store since the closure of the Sunflower. This is the largest retail property downtown and a grocery this size will generate a considerable amount of sales tax to the Town of Tylertown.