KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A neighborhood grocery store is set to re-open after a deadly fire forced it to close six months ago. It’s the same fire that killed two Kansas City firefighters, Larry Leggio and John Mesh.

There’s still so much to do to get Snyder’s Supermarket ready for business, but the wait is almost over.

“It’s been really tough. It’s been six months now and this last month has been the hardest month of all. It’s crunch time, time to put the store back together,” said manager Jason James.

An apartment fire next door caused the store to close. Snyder’s was hit with $350,000 worth of rotting food, forcing the supermarket to shut its doors.

“This is something that’s kind of been a bad situation but we’re trying to turn it into a grand opportunity here. We’re trying to spiff the store up and give people around here a nicer place to shop in. We kind of went head to toe on this place,” said James.

It’s a bigger and better Snyder’s with the same neighborhood feel. The family-owned store has been a staple of Independence Ave. for nearly 50 years.

“Yesterday on my way out, a lady drove up in her van and she was like hey when does this store open? And she was just so excited. She said I’ve been without my supermarket for so long,” said Justin Skinner with Associated Wholesale Grocers.

The hard work has paid off. The store is set to re-open May 4th.

“This has been a big project, I’m kind of happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” James said.