Photos: Chris Emeott
Kowalski’s debuts its latest store with trusted standards and enticing newcomers.
George Charles is a self-described Kowalski’s Markets enthusiast. “It’s premium, and to me, it’s creating value,” he says. The Edina resident previously lived in St. Paul, and he’d make the drive to the St. Paul location from Edina every week for groceries—but that was then. Now, his shopping commute is much shorter.
The new store is an open floor concept with beautifully defined spaces for each grocery section.
In May, Kowalski’s opened its Edina location, the 11th store in the company’s lineup, in the former Herberger’s location in Southdale Center. “Everything is beautifully presented … the flavors always match the season. Kowalski’s, to me, is on point with the moment,” Charles says when referring to the store’s commitment to offering a wide breadth of seasonal and year-round grocery items.
Kowalski’s opened in 1986 with the goal of bringing value to customers through its family-run grocery stores. Kris Kowalski Christiansen, CEO and daughter of founders Jim and Mary Anne Kowalski, says the shopping experience that people, like Charles, are having at the stores is intentional. “We are a little bit different because of our model in the grocery aisles,” she says. “In every category, there are three main subcategories. So, in cereal, we’ll have the mainstream, like Cheerios, but we’ll have some fun specialty [brands] and then also some kind of natural, more health-oriented option,” Kowalski Christiansen says, highlighting that customers have three options to invite into their shopping baskets.
Mary Anne Kowalski and Kris Kowalski Christiansen
Kowalski Christiansen further notes that the Kowalski family’s goal is to provide high-quality, exciting products, including the business’s private label program—a labor of love. “We spend a lot of time getting and meeting the small local producers; and putting together our own Kowalkski’s brand products,” she says. “We do a lot with small, local producers … we’ve been doing it since we opened.”
Charles and his family appreciate that philosophy, and it plays into what keeps them shopping at Kowalski’s. “You can take an average experience of grocery shopping and make it exceptional. Everything you cook will be elevated,” he says.
Lush green potted trees create a relaxing ambiance in Kowalski’s cafe area. It’s the perfect place to enjoy a coffee or any of the hot and ready meal options
The offerings at Kowalski’s go beyond just groceries. With each new store, the options increase, and customers gain access to, for example, new hot bar selections, take-and-go meals and other products. Charles and his family are especially partial to the restaurant-quality meals that create easy and quick alternatives to take-out dining.
Pizzeria Pezzo is a staple in most Kowalski’s Markets locations. It’s famous for thin crust and deep dish pizzas.
While the Edina location includes the similar elements as other locations, it also boasts some new featured services and products. Consider visiting the Nékter Juice Bar, a franchise from the West Coast that serves fresh juice and açaí bowls. If you’re ready for a meal, there’s Pizzeria Pezzo, a takeout version of top-rated locations, originally opened by chef Gary Bougie. For another hearty alternative, try Kowalski’s new burger bar, which features a smashed Akaushi wagyu burger and a Ferndale turkey burger blend. For dessert, head on over to the homemade ice cream counter, Skoops!
Kowalski’s Markets also has a dry-aged meat cabinet.
Beyond these new meal options, the Edina Kowalski’s also has a living, pick-your-own herb wall and dry-aged meat cabinets, which offer shoppers the chance to purchase specific cuts of beef, aged by Kowalski’s. There’s more, including pho, hibachi and sushi offerings. The bakery has a self-warming station with cinnamon and caramel rolls, maple sticks, glazed twists, cookies and more. Of course, once you get your bakery goodie, a swing by the in-store Starbucks for coffee is a must.
In the produce section you will find the living herb wall. This state-of-the-art cabinet is temperature and climate controlled to keep herbs, like this basil plant, fresh.
For superfans like Charles, a visit to Kowalski’s—whichever location you choose—can be about more than fulfilling a grocery shopping list; it can be about maintaining an appreciation for what is tried and true or building an appreciation for something brand new.
Kowalski’s Markets
324 Southdale Center
Facebook: Kowalski’s Markets
Instagram: @kowalskis_markets
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