Southeastern unveiling new Hispanic format

Southeastern Grocers on Wednesday is expected to unveil a new Hispanic-focused brand name — Fresco y Más — at a Winn-Dixie store in Hialeah, Fla.

The new banner will debut at the site of a Winn-Dixie store that closed at 4 p.m. Tuesday so workers could complete an overnight transformation, sources told SN. According to the company Fresco y Más has been tailored to provide the products and services that meet the needs of the community, "while continuing to offer great value, stunning quality food and service with personality."

Southeastern, the parent of Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and Harveys stores, performed a similar overnight transformation when it converted an existing Winn-Dixie to a value-focused Harveys store last month in Jacksonville, Fla. But descriptions of the Fresco y Más offering suggest the store may also share much in common with recent renovations of conventional Winn-Dixie stores, including a greater emphasis on fresh and prepared foods, only with a Latin focus.

“Winn-Dixie opened its first store in Hialeah in 1958, and this community has been important to us for many years," Ian McLeod, president and CEO of Southeastern, said in a statement. "By talking to our customers in the community, we believed that we could cater to their needs even better and decided to develop a store in Hialeah very much with the community in mind.

“Fresco y Más offers an expanded Hispanic product assortment, great low prices and new features, including a full-service Latin Butcher shop and new Cocina — everything that our customers told us is important to them,” he added.

Shoppers will immediately notice the enhancements throughout the new Fresco y Mas store, including:

• A new custom façade and vibrant color palate with bi-lingual signage throughout the store.

• A full-service Latin butcher shop (Carniceria) offering an expanded selection of fresh cut meats to better serve our Hialeah customers.

• A café with expanded seating area serving authentic Hispanic breakfast, pastries, drinks and hot and cold sandwiches.

• A new “Cocina” offering daily specials of freshly-prepared, homemade favorites • Renovated bakery department offering an expanded selection of Hispanic pastries and baked goods, including flan, tres leches, and rice pudding, made fresh daily.

• New made-to-order personalized party platter packages available to serve 25, 50 or 100 people (includes personalized cake, croquettes (croquetas), pastries (pastelitos) and fried stuffed potatoes (papas rellenas).

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• Refreshed produce department featuring a farmer’s market setting with a wider selection of tropical fruits.

• Totally new $1 Zone within the store, with savings on more than 300 popular items for only $1, including cleaning products, baby products, bath and health products, foil ware and value greeting cards.

• An additional Wall of Value section featuring weekly specials on popular items Hialeah customers purchase most.

• More than 100 Hispanic products are new to the store.

The company said the new brand would retain programs such as the "Down-Down" pricing campaign of extended discounts that Winn-Dixie offered, as well as a continuation of Rewards and fulperks programs.