SANDPOINT — Around 250 people jammed the Department of Labor office Thursday in an attempt to land one of the 100 jobs being offered at the new Super 1 Foods grocery store.

The store is set to open June 16 — several weeks earlier than what was previously announced, said Steve Furin, store director.

Furin and five other senior Super 1 Foods department heads were greeted with potential employees filling the Department of Labor office lining the stairs and out the door when interviews began at 9 a.m.

The pace didn’t slow down all day.

In fact, the overwhelming number of applicants forced Super 1 to hold interviews today as well.

Furin, who has been in the grocery business since 1987 and has worked in all four Super 1 stores in Kootenai County, was hopeful he could whittle down the prospects in a series of abbreviated interviews.

This is the first new store he has opened and it is his first shot a being a store director. The store is located at the corner of Larch and Boyer.

Jeff Meredith hopes he will be one of the new hires.

A laid-off construction worker who helped Wal-Mart open back in the 1990s, Meredith told Furin in an interview that he would “do anything” Super 1 would ask of him to get the job.

“If you need help laying out the store, I can do that like I did for Wal-Mart,” he said. Furin said Super 1 has its own staff for that but then asked if Meredith was opposed to working nights.

He wasn’t. Furin nodded in approval.

Furin also asked if Meredith would be opposed to shaving off his facial hair. Again, Meredith said no problem.

“Thanks, we will notify you between tomorrow and the next 10 days,” he said to Meredith as they shook hands.

“Next,” Furin said. Short, sweet, polite and professional … but Furin was in a hurry to talk with the next applicant.

Bridgette Bradshaw-Fleer is the manager of the Sandpoint Department of Labor office and has worked there for 22 years.

In that time, she has never seen such a large crowd at the Pine Street office.

“The census may have hired more people but that was on ongoing process over a couple of weeks,” she said.

The line in front of the office started forming at 8:30 and was quickly absorbed into numerous offices that doubled as makeshift interview rooms.

Super 1’s choice to open in Sandpoint couldn’t have come at a better time.

Bonner County’s unemployment rate is hovering around 13.1 percent and there are only 92 jobs listed in the county for the 2,646 people who are out of work here and collecting unemployment.

Many of those unemployed have been out of work a long time and are precariously close to running out of extensions on their unemployment benefits.

“It is great to see these jobs become available,” she said. “All these people are good workers who just need a break.”

Bradshaw-Fleer is hearing more stories than she  would like about families that have lost everything and are now living in their cars. On the brighter side, she is also hearing anecdotal evidence that some people who had been living in their vehicles are finding employment.

“Our staff was geared up and ready to help,” Bradshaw-Fleer said. “This is a very tough time for people and we are so grateful that Super 1 is giving our area a boost.”