Urbandale Hy-Vee Opens with Fanfare and Ribbon Cutting: Flashback

Editor's Note: To celebrate our "Patch-iversary" -- Urbandale Patch has just turned 1 year old -- we're re-posting some of the past year's top stories. Some were sweet, some serious, some just had the town buzzing.

You can join Urbandale Patch editors in celebrating our first year at an open house. We'll be serving pizza from 5 to 7 p.m. next Thursday, Oct. 11, at the Urbandale Hy-Vee store, 5701 Douglas Ave.

Come by to say hello and tell us how we can make Urbandale Patch even better in its second year.

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By Matt Nelson

This story was originally published Aug. 14.

The new Urbandale Hy-Vee may just be the coolest grocery store ever.

And I'm not the only one who thinks so. More than a hundred people turned out for the ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning at 87th Street and Douglas Avenue, even Gov. Terry Branstad.

Store director Josh Asche said the event for him was "Overjoyous."

"This is a dream come true," Asche said. "Hy-Vee is all I've ever known."

Asche's been around Hy-Vees his entire life — his father was a store director as well, who opened a Hy-Vee in 1995. He said the store employees were "pumped up" for the grand opening. The store -- billed as the biggest in the chain -- increased the number of Hy-Vee jobs in Urbandale from 300 to 600, according to Asche.

"We're ready to rock," Asche said.

Inside

My first impression inside the new Hy-Vee is awe. The store is large, spacious, clean and filled with delicious-looking produce. Energetic music plays in the background that I can't help but keep time to. There's something about this Hy-Vee that is oddly hip.

I experience several jaw-dropping moments — the appearance of a vast rack of thinly-sliced deli meats, a milk bone bar for dogs, Italian gelato, a full-service restaurant and an olive and hummus bar.

The store is jam-packed with people checking it out, but it doesn't really feel crowded. There are stands with samples set up nearly everywhere around the store.

There's a vast display of cheese wheels and bakery cakes. In one corner, you can grab an order of sushi or pick up a flame-cooked pizza, followed by a smoothie from the Starbucks coffee in the corner.

Josh Asche also told me, "If we don't have it, we probably don't need it."

Looking at this store, I find myself inclined to agree with him.