Milwaukee-based Sendik’s Food Market on Wednesday will unveil its store at The Corners of Brookfield after completing a $5 million renovation aimed at enhancing the shopper’s in-store experience.
The new-and-improved store has been almost one year in the making for the longtime family-owned grocer, which currently operates 17 stores across the Milwaukee area and employs 1,800 people.
The project added a high-end bistro area with a juice and coffee bar, grill station, mezzanine level lounge and gathering space, as well as an 8,150-square-foot Sendik’s Home store on the main shopping center level, featuring a selection of lifestyle clothing, an in-store dressing room, floral shop, international gourmet food items and brand-name kitchen products including LeCrueset, Staub, All Clad and Zwillings-Henckels.
“I think that people always thought grocery shopping was a little bit of a drag and that it’s just another chore— well this makes it fun,” said Margaret Harris, co-owner of Sendik’s.
Harris is the creative brain behind the Sendik’s Home brand and expansive array of flowers and gifts at Sendik’s stores. She has worked to expand the company’s gift selection to make the grocery shopping more fun and relaxed and less like another chore, she said.
“Isn’t it nice to have those five minutes to wander around and just look at something pretty or buy yourself a scarf while you’re grocery shopping?” Harris said. “This takes it up to that really high level where you could sit down at the bar and have a glass of wine and you can actually walk around with your glass and go shopping if you wanted to.”
Sendik’s will host a weekend-long grand opening celebration from Oct. 18 to 20. It will include activities, live music, giveaways and special guests.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the community back into our reimagined space,” said Ted Balistreri, co-owner at Sendik’s. “This weekend of grand reopening festivities is the perfect way to celebrate our renovation and introduce shoppers to what we hope will be their new favorite gathering space.”
