The Edgartown Stop & Shop had a soft opening for its expanded wing this past weekend, giving customers a first look of the new deli, produce department, and meat and seafood counters.

The new wing increased the store’s size by 16,000 square feet — from 25,000 to 41,000 square feet.

The grocery store chain had been planning the expansion since 2016 but was hindered by several lawsuits before they could begin construction in 2022 on the Upper Main street building. Earlier this year, a Stop & Shop spokesperson said they expected to complete construction before the end of 2023 and will hold a formal opening sometime in spring of 2024.

Soft opening took place over the weekend. — Zivah Solomon

“The remainder of the store is being remodeled to create a refreshed, wider selection across bakery, dairy, frozen food and more, all with great values for our customers,” spokesperson Caroline Medeiros said in September of this year.

Stop & Shop spokesperson Jennifer Brogan confirmed that the grand reopening is scheduled for sometime next year but did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment.

The soft opening caps off a yearslong saga to renovate the grocery store, which was last overhauled in 1989. The addition was approved by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission in 2018, but then challenged by Edgartown attorney Benjamin Hall Jr., who owns the adjacent property. His series of appeals claimed that there had been several technical and substantive issues with the permitting process. His last appeal wass dismissed by a Dukes County Superior Court judge in January 2023. His appeal of that judge’s decision is still before the state Appeals Court.

In order to accommodate the expansion, a small Rockland Trust building had to be demolished and rebuilt further off to the side.

The store is still moving its wares to accommodate the new addition. As of Tuesday, several new features, including a new bakery, were not yet operational.