Hy-Vee Food Stores

While this HyVee is currently under construction (they are almost done… finally!), and the parking/​entrance is a little wonky, this place is still pretty convenient. I’m glad to see they have added a bulk food section… however, they do not have the ability to tare glass containers so if you are trying to minimize waste and use reusables, you either have to bring bags that are lightweight or just have to use what they have there. I really wish they would figure out a way to accommodate this, as it’s often hard to put spices/​powdered goods into cloth bags.
We do generally prefer Fareway for our beef and chicken… for whatever reason we’ve had some chewy chicken from HyVee. But HyVee has a much better selection when it comes to organic and «health» food than Fareway does.
A random/​funny note: One of our cashiers (college-​aged) once had to ask us what a head of garlic was. She said she doesn’t really eat vegetables so she doesn’t know what they all are when they don’t have stickers… ;)
Oh, they always have the sweetest ladies cooking/​giving out samples of food. It’s always so good and they are very fun to chat with about cooking/​food.

This is probably one of my least-​favorite Hy-​Vees in the area. They are working on updating the interior and whatnot, though, but that’s part of the problem. During the construction, they’ve taken out around 5 of the check-​out lanes. I waited over 10 minutes to check out a few items. It was bad enough that the lines for check-​out were going into the actual shopping aisles and preventing people from getting through to do shopping. They had all available lanes open, so I understand that they were trying, but at the same time, maybe they shouldn’t have removed quite so many of the lanes at once for upgrading. It was mid-​day on a Friday, so I can’t imagine what the afternoon or evening rush looked like.
Some of the selection is lacking as well. Their Health Foods section is smaller than many Hy-​Vees. They didn’t have the ice cream or coffee syrup I normally pick up at a Hy-​Vee. When I came in for a mini cake or a cake pop, I found out that the bakery doesn’t make either. Right now, with their renovations, a lot of the store is covered in plastic boards or things are missplaced. Gotta give them credit for staying open while trying to upgrade their building, though. The old Hy-​Vee was definitely showing its wear.
Cashier was friendly enough. Customers seem to leave a lot of messes in this Hy-​Vee, though. I see opened and half-​eaten packages of food on the shelves pretty regularly when I come in. I know that’s not the store’s fault, but it’s just another addition that makes it a less-​desirable Hy-​Vee than some of the others.
On the bright side, they ARE adding a Starbucks into this location with the renovation, so be prepared for delicious coffee. (On a secondary side note, this Hy-​Vee is right next to a Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond, Staples, Petco, and a Barnes and Noble so you can get a lot of shopping done at once.
I’m hoping to update this review in the future when the location is finished with renovations and is super-​awesome, but honestly, I’m not expecting that to happen. Here’s to hoping, though!

Big clean well organized supermarket with cheerful clerks. There are several tables in a front corner of the store, where we ate the lunch we’d just bought, which was really convenient. As customers left, the tables were cleaned promptly (and well).

Since leaving eastern Iowa, I have yet to find a comparable grocery chain who provides the level of service that Hy-​Vee does. I mean, all-​around service, from having clean floors, a well-​kept produce section, friendly workers, dedicated lifer-​types, a helpful pharacist, a great financial, delicious prepared foods and an overriding sense of community. I know allthat sounds over the top for a grocery store, but I tell you — this Hy-​Vee is one of the prime examples of what great customer service really is. It was instrumental in teaching me customer service, the tenants of which I still use today.
Special note: I worked at this Hy-​Vee for about 3 years in high school, under Marv’s strict tutelage. That guy made me cry in the safe room once. when my register was off by a few dollars. He was one of the best managers I ever had — didn’t take any guff, expected you to do your job and do it well, and most importantly, he really, seriously held up Hy-Vee’s main staple, which was customer service. Thank you, Marv.