Sneak peek: Coborn’s readies Cash Wise store reopening

Next week, upper Midwest grocer Coborn’s plans hold a grand reopening for its upgraded Cash Wise Foods supermarket in Willmar, Minn.

St. Cloud, Minn.-based Coborn’s said the Willmar Cash Wise marks the latest remodel in its expansion. With the project completed, the company has built or updated over two dozen of its Cash Wise locations to its next-generation format in Minnesota and North Dakota.

Located at 1300 5th St. SE, the Willmar opened in 1979 and was the first of 19 Cash Wise stores in Minnesota and the Dakotas. The reopening event is slated to be held on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

“To meet the evolving needs of our guests, we are proud to invest in our original Cash Wise store and in the Willmar community, with an expanded bakery, deli, produce and meat and seafood departments, along with an updated store design and new offerings to create a remarkable shopping experience for customers,” Coborn’s President and Chief Operating Officer Dave Meyer said in a statement. “The Willmar Cash Wise has been in this community since 1979, and we are excited to continue to bring remarkably fresh offerings and incredibly friendly service to our guests here.”

The Willmar Cash Wise features expanded floral and beverage/snack departments, a broader candy assortment with vintage items, new ethnic food varieties, an in-store meat smoker (for freshly smoked chicken, beef and pork) and a relocated Bake Shoppe that makes fresh tortillas daily.

Related:Coborn’s names Dave Meyer president

A centerpiece of the store is The Kitchen, a prepared foods area offering made-to-order entrees; sandwiches and other grab-and-go breakfast, lunch and dinner options; and Kabar Sushi.

Other highlights include a bigger selection of Four Brothers affordable specialty items, integrated natural and organic products, expanded offerings in meat and seafood (such as Greater Omaha 1881 Certified Hereford Beef), a full-service pharmacy with consultation room, a gas station, a designated area for curbside pickup, DoorDash home delivery service, new refrigerator and freezer units, and more-efficient LED lighting.

“I’d like to thank the Willmar community for their patience while our store has been under construction,” commented Store Director David Ham. “The remodel process was met with unplanned delays, but our guests demonstrated patience and flexibility knowing that, in the end, the promise of a refreshed space would await them.”

Overall, Coborn’s operates 66 supermarkets stores in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods, Hornbacher’s and Tadych’s Marketplace banners.

Related:Coborn’s to buy Tadych’s Econofoods stores