Multi-format food, fuel and pharmacy retailer Giant Eagle celebrated its newest format on Aug. 18 with the grand opening of the Bexley, Ohio, Market District Express.
The Market District Express is a unique format, located in a smaller footprint (30,000 s.f.), in a two-story building, and is anchored by a 155-seat restaurant on the second floor of the building. Giant Eagle officials said the new store offers customers the best of Market District in a more intimate store setting. The store was planned for four years and was a collaborative effort between Bexley city officials, residents and Giant Eagle officials.
“We are thrilled to open our first Ohio Market District Express location in Bexley,” said Dan Donovan, Giant Eagle marketing director. “As a family-owned company, we appreciate Bexley’s close-knit community and wanted to deliver a versatile shopping destination that made sense for the city and its families.”
The Bexley Market District Express features “table by Market District,” a full-service restaurant for lunch and dinner, inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients. Many of the ingredients used for the menu items are sourced from the perishable departments of the supermarket. Menu prices range from $6-$11 per plate. The restaurant also has extensive beer and wine lists. There are 18 craft beers on tap, and shoppers can order wine by the glass or select a bottle of wine from the 1,200 varieties available in-store for the selling price of the bottle plus a $10 corkage fee.
Some of the features of the Market District grocery store include:
- Curbside Express—An online grocery ordering service that caters to on-the-go customers. Combining the ease of online ordering with the convenience of parking lot pickup, customers can complete their grocery shopping without having to leave their vehicles.
- Beer, Wine & Liquor—In addition to a full bar, Market District Express will carry more than 1,200 varieties of wine and more than 400 craft, domestic, and imported beers including offerings from local breweries like North High, Seventh Son and Columbus Brewing.
- Local—Carefully curated products from more than 20 local purveyors, ranging from pasta sauce to potato chips, and sourced from within 150 miles of the store.
- Freshly Cut Meats—Market District-made sausages, marinated meats, gourmet burgers, beef, pork, poultry and more.
- Produce—Grown across the globe and by farmers in Columbus, Ohio.
- Health, Beauty & Wellness—Filled with natural and organic cosmetics, vitamins and personal care products.
The store is in downtown Bexley, on the former site of Bexley City Hall, across the street from a private college and not far from Ohio State University. The grocery store employs 70 people, and the restaurant itself will employ 40 team members.
Giant Eagle is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year. The retailer, with $9.5 billion in annual sales, has more than 420 stores in western Pennsylvania, north central Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.
