It has been a little more than two years since Sendik’s Food Market opened at The Corners of Brookfield, but the store is already undergoing a $5 million renovation.
The project, however, is about more than updating finishes or replacing fixtures. The location has been the fastest growing store of the 17 Sendik’s has in the Milwaukee area. Co-owner Ted Balistreri said that growth along with The Corners’ ability to draw shoppers from across the state presented an opportunity.
“(Sendik’s and The Corners developers) wanted to do more,” he said. “We thought there was more potential and that’s what got us thinking about this.”
In this case, doing more includes adding a high-end bistro area with a juice and coffee bar, grill station, mezzanine level lounge and gathering space, as well as a 7,000-square-foot Sendik’s Home store addition to the top of the existing grocery store space.
“Sendik’s has always been about great food, having fun, creating a great environment for our shoppers,” Balistreri said. “We’re adding some new twists to this store as we continue to build on what we’ve done in the past and continue to elevate the shopping experience.”
“We had the opportunity with the encouragement of The Corners developer IM Properties to push the envelope a little bit more, and we think this is a great location for some of those new things that will really appeal to the shoppers at The Corners.”
The addition will connect Sendik’s to the main level of The Corners. It will sell clothing, floral arrangements, international gourmet food items and brand-name kitchen products including LeCrueset, Staub, All Clad, Zwillings-Henckels and more.
Originally expected to be complete by this summer, Sendik’s is now targeting a mid-October debut for the new-and-improved store. The store has remained operational throughout the construction process, which started in January.
The company opened The Corners location in 2017 with hopes to one day expand, but first wanted to gauge performance, Balistreri said.
He was worried sales would drop during the construction process, but said they’ve only continued to grow.
He credited The Corners developers for securing a growing roster of both local and national brands that continue to bring in foot traffic, especially in the midst of a brick-and-mortar decline.
“While a lot of shopping centers are struggling, this is one that continues to grow and offer more and more amenities and experiences and events for customers…” he said “It’s really an exciting place to be and we’re one part of that and we want to hold up our end of it and ensure that it’s a great shopping experience for everybody.”
He said the the property’s underground parking and storefront access also helps set it apart from other retail centers in the area.
The Corners of Brookfield, which opened in April 2017, is comprised of 400,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 244 luxury apartments and parking for more than 1,700 cars. The particular area where Silverspot is opening has become the development’s entertainment corridor, with other nearby tenants including an Arhaus furniture store, Café Hollander restaurant, the Lake Country Social restaurant and an Improv comedy venue, which is expected to open in early 2020.
Other high-end and specialty tenants include Von Maur, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Goddess and the Baker, Kendra Scott, L.L. Bean and Silverspot Cinema.
