Kowalski Market in Excelsior

Our program on November 17^th was a presentation by the Kowalski Family about their new store in Excelsior. This is store number 10 in their family-owned upscale grocery chain.

 

Jim Kowalski was with the Red Owl organization when the family decided to cash in their retirement program and buy an underperforming store on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. This was in 1983. They have purchased many of their stores and completely remodeled them, but they really like to start a new store from scratch.

 

The Excelsior store was designed by them from the ground up, and Mary said that they have some added features in this store that are new to them, and will be extended to the other stores if they are successful here. One of them is the pasta bar (personal review: they  prepare an excellent pasta dinner to order. Try it). As many of their employees as is possible are local residents.

 

They had a question period at the end of their remarks, and there were two issues brought up. And John Gray complimented them on their sweet rolls (personal review: excellent selection of awesome bakery products).

 

To me, their store is an up-dated, enlarged Qik and Ezy, and will do well in our town.