HEINEN'S TO OPEN FRESH STORE IN SMALLER FORMAT

Lynne Miller

WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A full selection of fresh foods, with a reduced assortment of groceries, dairy and frozen food items, will be offered in a smaller-format store on the drawing board at Heinen's Fine Foods.

Officials at the family-owned, 15-store chain announced plans to build a 20,000-square-foot store -- less than half the size of a typical Heinen's -- in Hudson, an affluent suburb south of Cleveland. Scheduled to open in the fall of 2004, the store will be built as a freestanding unit in an upscale retail development, said Tom Heinen, one of the owners.

Officials decided on a small format because they believe Hudson, already served by a large store, wouldn't support another big supermarket, Heinen said. "The real point of difference is more based on the fact it's going to be smaller, more selective, but there still will be a full selection of produce, bakery, meat and prepared foods," he said.

The upscale retailer focuses on fresh foods and specialty items. It is known for top-notch meats, and was the first retailer in the country to offer both beef and pork under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's process-verified program, a quality-control protocol that aims to eliminate production variables that affect meat quality.

Heinen's operates a central kitchen, where many of the chain's prepared foods are made. The new store will also offer prepared foods made on site, Heinen said. The retailer also operates a central bakery.