GREENSBURG, Kansas -- The Kroger Co. said it will build a new Dillons supermarket next to its Kwik Shop convenience store in Greensburg, Kansas. Both the original Dillons, located down the street, as well as the c-store, were destroyed by a tornado on May 4.
Kwik Shop has already reopened its convenience store in Greensburg and will convert the store to a combination Dillons grocery store and Kwik Shop by the end of September. The partnership of Dillons and Kwik Shop, both owned by The Kroger Co. and both based in Hutchinson, Kansas, enables the companies [image-nocss] to begin offering expanded food choices for Greensburg residents.
Once the initial conversion is complete, Dillons will expand the store to offer additional products and services. The expansion project is expected to begin before the end of the year.
The new store will sell food and other items traditionally found in a Dillons grocery store and will retain many of the conveniences Kwik Shop currently offers, including a fuel service center. Customers will be able to meet their daily shopping needs as the store will have a selection of fresh produce, fresh meat, dairy, frozen foods and household items at prices customers find at other Dillons stores. Customers will be able to use their Dillons Plus card for loyalty rewards.
The company will add the new Dillons supermarket on to the west side of the Kwik Shop. It will, in effect, be a combo store, with a Kwik Shop convenience store and Dillons Supermarket side by side, Hewitt told The Kiowa County Signal. And the gas pumps should be up and running by mid-August.
He added, There's obviously a lot of details yet to be worked out, but the good news is we'll have a full-service grocery store that will be at least the same size as the one we had before the tornado.
"The community of Greensburg will rebuild, and we will be there with them during the rebuilding efforts and beyond. We look forward to serving our customers in Greensburg and Kiowa County again so they can continue to do their daily shopping in their hometown," said John Bays, president of Dillons Food Stores.
Greensburg, about 110 miles west of Wichita, was decimated by the F5 tornado. Kwik Shop officials opened a makeshift c-store soon after at that site, selling milk, bread, snacks, cold drinks and cold water. Kwik Shop was the first business besides a bank to start functioning again.
In partnership with KSNW-TV, Dillons and Kwik Shop have raised more than $500,000 for families affected by the tragedy and have worked closely with the Salvation Army and Red Cross to help the community begin the rebuilding process. Dillons and Kwik Shop plan to explore incentive options available through state and federal agencies and would like to work with community leaders to determine the best way to return any funds raised through incentives to customers who will be living and working in Greensburg.
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius thanked Dillons, Kwik Shop and Kroger for their commitment to the state. "Dillons has a rich history in Kansas and this is a great step for Greensburg residents and for the surrounding communities," said Sebelius. "We are excited that Dillons and Kwik Shop will continue to be an integral part of the rebuilt Greensburg."
Cincinnati-based Kroger currently operates 779 c-stores in 16 states, under five banners, includingalong with Hutchinson, Kansas-based Kwik Shop (more than 150 stores in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska)Loaf N' Jug (Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming), Quick Stop Markets (California and Nevada), Tom Thumb Food Stores (Florida and Alabama) and Turkey Hill Minit Markets (Pennsylvania).
The company operates 2,507 supermarkets and department stores in 31 states under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less, King Soopers, Smith's and Smith's Marketplace, Fry's and Fry's Marketplace, 104 Hutchinson-based Dillons, QFC and City Market. It has 579 supermarket fuel centers.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.