UPDATE, May 18: Natural Grocers confirms that the new South Broadway store will open on Wed., May 31. There will be a "kombucha toast," live music and snacks at 8:25 a.m., and "a free community ice cream social" from 4 to 6 p.m.
EARLIER: Natural Grocers plans to open new stores on South Broadway next month and in River North in July. Meanwhile, the company will close its Highland grocery this summer.
The South Broadway store:
The Lakewood-based grocer has penciled in May 31 as the opening date for a store near Dakota Avenue and South Broadway.
The company might be able to steal sales away from Whole Foods in Washington Park and Cherry Creek with the location planned for 368 S. Broadway. The store is being built across from a shopping center that houses Safeway and the recently closed Kmart.
The RiNo store:
The store in RiNo, near Brighton Boulevard and 38th Street, is slated to open in July, Natural Grocers spokeswoman Krystal Covington said Thursday.
Natural Grocers will vacate its spot across from My Brother's Bar near Platte and 15th streets to 3757 N. Brighton Blvd just ahead of the RiNo opening, making way for a five-story office building with ground floor retail space.
Legend Partners is one of the companies behind the planned office. The Denver-based developer didn't immediately return an inquiry from Denverite on Thursday.
The new RiNo store will be near a food desert where a large number of low-income residents are at least a mile away from a supermarket.
Covington said the company has "a big surprise planned (for the location) that shoppers will not be expecting from Natural Grocers."
"I can’t release it yet, but I’m chomping at the bit," she said.
Shoppers can expect Natural Grocers to offer a variety of natural and organic products as well as a wide range of supplements and vitamins. The company tends to market itself as affordable — a gallon of whole milk starts in the $7 price range and a dozen eggs goes for upward of $2.35, according to products listed online at the Colfax and Washington store. (Not all products had prices associated with them.)
Altogether, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc. plans to open 15 to 20 stores — and relocate three others — in 2017. As of Feb. 21, the company had 133 stores in 19 states including 36 in Colorado, according to a financial report released in February.
Business & data reporter Adrian D. Garcia can be reached via email at [email protected] or twitter.com/adriandgarcia.
Subscribe to Denverite’s newsletter here bit.ly/DailyDenverite.
