Coborn’s Inc. is celebrating the grand opening of a new store located at 630 Ryan’s Way in Buffalo, Minnesota. This marks the 60th grocery store and the 29th Coborn’s supermarket in the company’s retail portfolio.
The company recently completed significant updates at its Coborn’s location in Park Rapids and has several other locations currently being updated. This is the company’s newest ground-up construction project since opening a new Coborn’s Marketplace in Otsego, Minnesota, in 2020.
The new Buffalo location marks the latest updates in the St. Cloud, Minnesota-based company’s ever-evolving formats to best serve its guests.
“To meet the evolving demands of our customers, we are excited to be bringing new enhanced services, an expanded assortment and enlarged bakery, deli, produce and meat departments, along with an inviting décor package and merchandising to make the shopping experience truly unique,” said Chris Coborn, the company’s chairman, president and CEO. “We are excited to be re-entering the Buffalo community and offering the freshest products and the best guest service to our guests.”
The location features an in-store Caribou Coffee café, along with drive-thru service, a designated area for curbside pick-up for guests who choose to order online and an onsite pharmacy and fuel station.
With this store completed, the company has now built or updated over two dozen of its locations to its new, next-generation format. The company first introduced the updated concept in its Coborn’s stores when it opened its first Coborn’s Marketplace in Isanti, Minnesota, in 2016. Since then, the company has remodeled several other Coborn’s stores in Minnesota to this format including, most recently, stores in Park Rapids, Princeton, Sauk Rapids, New Prague and Clearwater.
Some features of the Buffalo Coborn’s Marketplace include:
- The Kitchen: This centerpiece area will serve made-to-order entrees that are packaged in-store for easy, convenient pick-up and quick at-home preparation. Sandwiches and other grab-and-go breakfast, lunch and dinner options are just a few of the items guests will find in the Kitchen, in addition to Kabar Sushi.
- Online shopping: Guests can place their order online by visiting Coborns.com or by shopping on any mobile or desktop device and have their order waiting for them for pickup at a designated timeslot they’ve chosen. As more and more consumers are looking to save time, the online shopping service is becoming more and more popular. Both curbside pick-up service and home delivery will be available.
Unique items in the Buffalo store grocery aisles
- Expanded craft beverages including sparkling waters, ultra-premium water and teas;
- An expanded candy assortment;
- Snacking section;
- A variety of ethnic foods;
- A growing assortment of Four Brothers affordable specialty items, a line that pays tribute to the third generation of Coborn brothers who led the company to significant growth; and
- Integrated natural and organic items, making it easier for shoppers to compare against the more traditional items.
Caribou Coffee: An in-store Caribou Coffee Shop allows guests the opportunity to enjoy a warm or cool beverage while shopping, or in the comfort of a cozy coffee shop environment. Additionally, the Caribou has drive-thru service for commuters as well.
New offerings in Meat and Seafood: In addition to the already wide selection of quality fresh meat products, several new items have been introduced, including a variety of smoked meats, Greater Omaha 1881 Certified Hereford Beef products, an expanded seafood selection and more. A brand-new signature Four Brothers Smoked Maple Sausage is being introduced in this location, made with fresh maple syrup produced locally in Bowlus, Minnesota.
More Rewards: The More Rewards program also launched at the Buffalo Coborn’s store. Guests can enroll in the free program at any time during store hours or online at moreRewards.com. The program offers ways for the guest to save on fuel purchase by earning Fuel Rewards, as well as perks and special promotions to enrolled guests in the store’s pharmacy, liquor store and special emailed promotions sent exclusively to More Rewards members. Guests can download the More Rewards app to their smart phone on either Google Play or from the App Store on Apple.
Full-Service Pharmacy: An in-store pharmacy with drive-through service is located at the store front for patient convenience. Inside, a private consultation room is also designated for our pharmacists to meet one-on-one with patients to discuss their pharmacy and health needs.
Coborn’s Marketplace in Buffalo is led by Store Director Kristine Holthusen. She had previously been the Buffalo Natural Foods Manager prior to closing in 2016. She most recently served as store director at Coborn’s in Clearwater, Minnesota. She has served the company in store leadership positions for more than seven years.
Coborn’s Inc. is a 100-year-old employee-owned grocery retailer with nearly 9,000 employees and 60 grocery stores across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin under the Coborn’s, Cash Wise Foods, Marketplace Foods and Hornbacher’s banners. Coborn’s Inc. also operates fuel, liquor and pharmacy locations. To support its 130 various retail business units, Coborn’s Inc. operates its own central bakery, dry cleaning facility and grocery distribution center. In 2021, Coborn’s Inc. was named The Shelby Report’s Midwest Retailer of the Year.
