By Meredith Gardner
meredith.gardner@theindependent.com

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Lane Hickenbottom Most of the shelves are stocked and ready for customers in the new 81,000-square-foot Hy-Vee store, which will open Tuesday. Lane Hickenbottom Hy-Vee floral department clerk Jean Chesnut waters fresh flowers in the new store. Lane Hickenbottom Hy-Vee officials said they are excited to unveil the new Grand Island store. The store will open Tuesday morning. Click Thumbnails to View

The $18.7 million grocery store is slated to open at 6 a.m. Tuesday for the Hy-Vee chain's debut in the Grand Island community.

Grand Island's store is the western-most location for Hy-Vee, which operates 223 retail outlets in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

It's also the launch of a new prototype for the company, with colors and decor that are warmer and more modern than previous designs, said John Griesenbrock, store director.

"We now are opening up the finest Hy-Vee we've ever opened," said Ric Jurgens, president and CEO of Hy-Vee, who was at the Grand Island store Friday.

Tuesday's opening has been a long time coming, Jurgens said, as Hy-Vee officials have been looking at expanding into Grand Island for years.

The facility's large size is a testament to what the company thinks of Grand Island, he said.

"At the end of the day, it felt like a Hy-Vee town," Jurgens said.

The employee-owned company has added hundreds of new owners with the addition of its Grand Island store only about 20 of its 415 employees transferred from other Hy-Vee locations.

And in keeping with the store's mission of providing quality customer service, every employee has received 19 hours of customer service training, Griesenbrock said.

Hy-Vee will offer many amenities Grand Island's current grocery stores have carryouts, floral, deli, bakery, catering, pharmacy, one-hour photo lab, fresh seafood, pet and baby departments and a gas station scheduled to open March 4. But it also will offer a number of products and services that are new to the city.

"What we strive to do is provide everything that we think people need on a regular basis," Jurgens said.

In the deli area are Italian and Chinese Express counters, which face a large soup and salad bar. Customers can either purchase take-out or eat in the store's casual dining area.

In its 5,200-square-foot liquor store are a large wine selection, a walk-in cooler and at least one certified wine specialist.

There's also an olive bar, dry cleaners and reusable bags when customers are ready to go home.

Other Hy-Vee firsts featured in Grand Island will be a Caribou Coffee counter, made-to-order sandwiches and a Hy-Vee financial services area.

The company will continue its commitment to promoting healthy living in Grand Island with a large natural and organic foods section and a full-time staff dietitian, Jurgens said.

On its second floor, the store has what it calls the "Club Room," a bright space that includes a large kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and plenty of tables and chairs. In addition to being a space for cooking, floral and health classes, the room will serve as a public meeting space, Griesenbrock said.

"The sky's the limit" as far as classes go, he said.

In the future, the store plans to offer full-service online ordering and grocery delivery, Griesenbrock said.

They also plan to introduce a nutritional quality index on their products that was designed by a team of scientists to rank the nutritional value of food on a scale of 0 to 100, the latter being the best. With that system, customers will be able to see at a glance what foods may be healthier choices, Jurgens said.

Both Griesenbrock and Jurgens said they are optimistic about Hy-Vee's potential for success in Grand Island and are eager to open the building to the public.

"I really think Grand Island is ready for Hy-Vee, and on the flip side, Hy-Vee is ready for Grand Island," Griesenbrock said.

Hy-Vee

115 Wilmar Ave., Grand Island

Corner of Old Potash Highway and Webb Road

381-3678

Opens: 6 a.m. Tuesday

Hours: Open 24 hours

Store director: John Griesenbrock