Fareway Acquires Beloved Iowa Indie
Fareway Stores is expanding its footprint in Iowa by taking over an independent store founded by a pair of Powerball jackpot winners. The Brick Street Market and Café, at 114 Brick Street in Bondurant, Iowa, started by Brian and Mary Lohse in 2014, is now part of the Fareway chain.
The 20,000-square-foot store near Des Moines will officially change hands in early 2023. Fareway will do some remodeling over the next few months and keep the café open during any renovations, the grocer said.
The new owners pledge to continue to provide high-quality meats, locally sourced produce, carryout grocery service and full-service meals. “We are excited to expand Fareway Meat & Grocery into Bondurant,” said Fareway CEO Reynolds W. Cramer. “We look forward to serving area residents locally and becoming an integral part of the Bondurant community. Eight years ago, Brian and Mary Lohse brought a local grocer to Bondurant, and we are grateful they believe in Fareway to carry on their efforts.”
The Lohses, for their part, said that the business is in good hands. “We have enjoyed the great support of the community and forged great relationships with our loyal employees and customers. We have built our business on the values of service, integrity and loyalty, values that we share with Fareway,” they said in a statement. “While it was not an easy decision to make, in deciding to sell the grocery store to Fareway, we know that they will carry on those same values and provide greater opportunities to both our employees and our wonderful community. We look forward to continuing to serve Bondurant in Brick Street Market Café and provide the community with the best pork tenderloin in the state!”
According to local media reports, the Lohses have invested in the Bondurant area in other ways since they collected on their $202 million (pre-tax) lottery ticket. The couple has made significant donations to the school district to build a new high school football stadium and to their local church, among other charitable efforts.
Fareway, for its part, continues to grow its retail presence. In July, the company opened a new 7,400-square-foot meat market in Olathe, Kansas. In addition to fresh meat and ready-to-eat barbecue offerings, that store includes a grocery section with an array of produce, dairy and locally sourced items.
Family-owned Fareway employs more than 12,000 associates at its more than 120 stores in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. The Boone, Iowa-based company is No. 77 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
