Hy-Vee to Open Smokey Row Coffee Co. Restaurants

Hy-Vee Inc. has revealed that it will open its first coffee shop/restaurant in partnership with Pleasantville, Iowa-based Smokey Row Coffee Co. The first location will be in Chariton, Iowa, home of Hy-Vee’s largest distribution center. Smokey Row will replace the Hy-Vee Market Grille restaurant on the lower level of the Hotel Charitone.

The Chariton eatery, slated to open in mid-September, will offer the full Smokey Row menu, including coffee and other beverages, breakfast, salads, soups, sandwiches, ice cream and dessert options, and a kids’ menu. Meanwhile, the Chariton Hy-Vee store’s current Hy-Vee Market Grille Express will be renovated to accommodate a broader array of foods. Additionally, customers will be able to walk up to a pay station; order breakfast, lunch or dinner; and then eat their meal in a casual self-service atmosphere.

“We look forward to bringing our first Smokey Row location to Chariton for residents, visitors, students and workers to enjoy,” said Nate Stewart, EVP of restaurant development and food service for West Des Moines, Iowa-based Hy-Vee. “The current Market Grille space in Hotel Charitone will be transformed into a fun, trendy atmosphere with a wide array of food options, as well as a comfortable place for customers to relax, connect via wi-fi or visit with friends.”

The location will be the fifth Smokey Row restaurant in Iowa, and the first of several locations planned with Hy-Vee.

The grocer has also joined forces with fast-casual chain Wahlburgers, founded by actor Mark Wahlberg and his brothers, on various locations, as has Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer. 

Employee-owned Hy-Vee operates more than 260 stores across eight Midwestern states. The company is No. 12 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 list of the top grocers in the United States, while Meijer is No. 7.