JOHNSTON, Iowa – Kum & Go opened the doors yesterday to its newly rebuilt location in Johnston, Iowa. The store is a brand new, 6,000+-square-foot Marketplace design prototype with a variety of unique offerings for customers, making it unlike any other Kum & Go location.
To encourage customers to try out some of those new offerings, the first 99 customers to arrive on Thursday morning received a coupon for a 99-cent whole pizza. Additionally, today from 10 am to 2 pm, customers can fill up with E15 for 99 cents per gallon (available only at this store).
“We saw great store traffic and customers are very excited about the new look, layout and fresh food options,” said Kristie Bell, Kum & Go communications director, about the grand opening. “We also saw tremendous success with our growler station—we sold out of the 64-ounce growler containers and had to replenish our stock by the early afternoon. We’re thrilled to deliver a new and fun experience for our customers.”
Developing this distinctive model took nearly two years, and the result is an entirely new concept. The centerpiece of the store is an expanded and open food preparation area that customers can see from the moment they enter. Other location features include:
- Elevated food experience with Kum & Go’s “Go Fresh Market”
- Open kitchen layout, clear aisles and easy-to-navigate zones
- Seating inside with patio seating outside (weather permitting)
- Complimentary Wi-Fi and charging stations for customers
- Expansive beer cave and growler station with fresh beer
- Designed for LEED-certified status, using energy efficient and sustainable design
Additionally, a new piece of artwork was commissioned by Kum & Go specifically for this Johnston location. An 8-foot tall, 7-foot wide ampersand (paying tribute to Kum & Go’s slogan, “Where & means more.”) sits on the north side of the store. Designed and produced by the award-winning, Des Moines-based art studio Sticks, the sign pays tribute to the community of Johnston with key words and images that reflect the area’s attractions and slogans on one side. The opposite side showcases the Kum & Go core values and culture.
“This new footprint represents everything that Kum & Go strives to be for our associates and for our customers,” said Kum & Go president and CEO Kyle Krause. “This is the evolution of our brand promise and business approach. Now customers can truly experience the ‘more’ that we provide.”
The store design was conceptualized by CBX, a retail design firm headquartered in New York City, and the working prototype was developed by BRR, an architecture firm in Kansas City. Local partners included Henning Construction from Johnston, Performance Display and Civil Design Advantage from Grimes and Seneca Companies from Des Moines. Additional partners included Hussmann, Nagle Signs and Arning Companies.
Future locations of this new layout are planned for 2016 in Iowa, Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Missouri and Arkansas. The next Iowa location will be in Waukee in the new Kettlestone development, projected to open in spring 2016.