ALEXANDRIA, La. – There are no old chairs, linoleum or nasty green walls in this store's break room. Think brown leather couch with bright cushions, flat-screen TV, bar, and photographs hanging on walls of burnt orange and grey-blue.
Call it an Extreme Breakover: It's a break room restyled by Ty Pennington of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (search)." A Sears (search) store in Alexandria won the honor for its outstanding customer service.
Pennington and his police escort showed up about 7:45 a.m. Saturday for a brief ceremony to show it off.
"This is big for central Louisiana," said Clarence Fields, mayor of nearby Pineville. He and Alexandria Mayor Ned Randolph gave Pennington the keys to the city.
"This award is a credit to Sears' employees and management. Being chosen from 870 stores nationwide is a great accomplishment. It is great to have him here," Fields said.
As employees entered the break room redone to Pennington's designs, some said, "Wow!" and "This is great" and "I love it."
Store workers decided that a $5,000 donation to charity — also part of the prize — should go to Hope House, a center for homeless women and children.
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