Blog

Nov 07, 2023

Story City locals, officials look forward to Fareway grocery store

Story City locals will soon have a grocery store again as Fareway Stores

Story City locals will soon have a grocery store again as Fareway Stores announced plans Friday to build a new store in the community of roughly 3,300.

The town has been without a grocery store since Story City Market closed in 2021, marking the first time in Story City's history it didn't have at least one in-town grocery store.

The loss of Story City Market made Story City a food desert — one of thousands of communities with limited access to a supermarket or grocery store in the United States.

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture identified 6,500 food deserts across the U.S. Its report, released in 2017, found 19 million people — 6.2% of the U.S. population — lived in a food desert.

Plans for the Story City Fareway call for construction at the southwest corner of Broad Street and Factory Outlet Drive.

The store is expected to be about 10,800 square feet and will offer a large grocery selection, including a full-service meat counter and produce department. It will also offer a variety of craft beer, wines and spirits.

Customer service will include cashiers at some checkouts and to-your-car carryout service. The new store will also have self-service checkout options and online ordering, with curbside pickup available at Shop.Fareway.com.

In recent years, Fareway has adapted its business model to include a foray into smaller markets. Stores opened in the communities of Colfax, Rockwell City and Ogden offer slightly less square footage but retain the atmosphere of larger stores, Fareway CEO Reynolds Cramer told the Ames Tribune during a 2022 interview at the Odgen opening.

More:Fareway makes foray into small communities, adds Venmo, PayPal to all stores

"Communities depend on a local grocer to offer high quality products and unmatched service. Fareway values the communities and people it serves, and we look forward to building a new Fareway store in Story City," Cramer said in a news release Friday. "We want to thank city officials and economic development for helping make this project possible."

Story Economic Development Corporation President Tyler Frederiksen said adding the Fareway store is a significant win for Story City.

"There was a lot of hard work and dedication from the Story Economic Development Corporation over the past two years to get us here today," Frederiksen said in the release. "This happened while working with amazing partners, which include the Story City Mayor and Council and the Ames EDC. We look forward to having Fareway be part of the Story City community and continuing the mission of Story City, the best place to live, work, and do business."

Demolition of existing structures will begin this month, with new store construction to begin in early 2024. A groundbreaking ceremony will take place early next year.

"As the Mayor of Story City, no one will be happier once we finally break ground on a new Fareway store," Mayor Mike Jensen said in the release. "The most frequent question I get asked daily is, ‘When is Fareway coming?’"

More:Fareway opens new store in Ogden, continues business model to include small-town locations

Ronna Faaborg covers business, education and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at [email protected].