New Hy-Vee store to include full-service restaurant

URBANDALE, Iowa — Hy-Vee will close a store in central Iowa to prepare for the opening of a new store next door that the company called its "most innovative."

The company announced that the supermarket pharmacy in Urbandale, Iowa, would close on Sunday and be leveled to make way for a parking lot for the new store, set to open Aug. 14. The new store will include a casual dining spot called Market Fresh Grille that will become a full-service restaurant at 4 p.m., including trained servers and a menu that includes dishes created by the store's chefs and a selection of wines and craft beers.

Other services include a sushi bar with seating, a coffee shop and lounge area with a stone fireplace, Italian gelato, a fruit and juice bar, an oatmeal bar and pizza fired in a wood stone oven, a wine and spirits shop, and an expanded housewares section with a cooking demonstration area. The new store will open the pharmacy and bank on July 16 to prevent disruptions in service for customers; the pharmacy also will include home delivery and a drive-through.

"Every new store is special in its own way, but this is perhaps the most innovative store Hy-Vee has ever built," store director Josh Asche said. "We've visited retailers throughout the country, looking at different store formats, and we've taken the best concepts we've seen and adapted them to create a whole new shopping experience for our customers."