Everything seems bigger in Short Pump.
After a long delay, Kroger is close to opening its largest store in the Mid-Atlantic.
The 91,000-square-foot store is set to open July 29 in the Corner at Short Pump, a retail development across from Short Pump Town Center.
The new store nearly doubles the size of an existing Kroger store down the street that is scheduled to close. District manager Joe Antolini said the store has been in the works for three and half years. It was supposed to open last year, Antolini said.
“The developer had to get all their financial stuff in order. When you talk about the economy, this is one of the things in the middle of it,” he said.
The rest of the center has yet to be built by the developer, Goldman Sachs subsidiary Archon Group.
But the delay has not dampened the Cincinnati-based grocery chain’s enthusiasm for the new store, which features many improvements the company has been testing in recent years based on customer feedback.
The new Kroger will contain one of the chain’s largest prepared food sections and will feature indoor and outdoor seating for customers. There is a wine bar, where customers can sit and have a glass, and they can taste test meats prepared by the store’s grill master. The store also has a drive-through pharmacy. The only thing missing from the new Kroger is a fuel center, which was not permitted on the site.
A Seattle’s Best Coffee, a chain recently acquired by Starbucks, will be located inside the store.
In addition, Antolini said this would be one of the grocer’s most energy efficient stores thanks to dozens of skylights. The lamps hanging above the store adjust themselves depending on how much natural light is coming through. The lights in the freezer cases turn off when no one is in the aisle.
The new store is part of a more than $80 million investment Kroger is making in its area stores. The company is adding 175 employees to work at the new location, which will have a total staff of about 300. BizSense recently visited the Kroger employee-training center in Richmond. You can read more about that here.
Al Harris is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to [email protected].
Everything seems bigger in Short Pump.
After a long delay, Kroger is close to opening its largest store in the Mid-Atlantic.
The 91,000-square-foot store is set to open July 29 in the Corner at Short Pump, a retail development across from Short Pump Town Center.
The new store nearly doubles the size of an existing Kroger store down the street that is scheduled to close. District manager Joe Antolini said the store has been in the works for three and half years. It was supposed to open last year, Antolini said.
“The developer had to get all their financial stuff in order. When you talk about the economy, this is one of the things in the middle of it,” he said.
The rest of the center has yet to be built by the developer, Goldman Sachs subsidiary Archon Group.
But the delay has not dampened the Cincinnati-based grocery chain’s enthusiasm for the new store, which features many improvements the company has been testing in recent years based on customer feedback.
The new Kroger will contain one of the chain’s largest prepared food sections and will feature indoor and outdoor seating for customers. There is a wine bar, where customers can sit and have a glass, and they can taste test meats prepared by the store’s grill master. The store also has a drive-through pharmacy. The only thing missing from the new Kroger is a fuel center, which was not permitted on the site.
A Seattle’s Best Coffee, a chain recently acquired by Starbucks, will be located inside the store.
In addition, Antolini said this would be one of the grocer’s most energy efficient stores thanks to dozens of skylights. The lamps hanging above the store adjust themselves depending on how much natural light is coming through. The lights in the freezer cases turn off when no one is in the aisle.
The new store is part of a more than $80 million investment Kroger is making in its area stores. The company is adding 175 employees to work at the new location, which will have a total staff of about 300. BizSense recently visited the Kroger employee-training center in Richmond. You can read more about that here.
Al Harris is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to [email protected].
Jerry Sexton the wine expert who used to be at Willow Lawn is now at Short Pump. We miss you Jerry and good luck at your new location..
How about a kid zone? No mention by BizSense or RTD, so I guess not, but a kid zone would be great.
Ever heard of Wegman’s? If not and you are in Northern Virginia, take a look at the store in Leesburg. It might be a good model to copy or an example of where top of the line grocery stores are headed. Quite a store, and one that I am sure Kroger’s Antolini already knows about.
Kid zone? The kid zone is at home and not in a grocery store.
Sounds nice – Now how about us folks in Northside getting some attention from Kroger. They are renovating a bunch of stores – but the DUMP at Parham & Brook Rd. is not on the list. This is an old Hannafords that is in very sad condition. The interior is left over from the Hannaford days and its literally falling apart!
Also – agree with Carol on the Kid Zone. Leave em at home.
The store at Parham & Brook Rd is a dump because that area of town is a dump. 40 year old suburban sprawl wasteland, just like Short Pump will one day be when Goochland becomes the new far west end.