Starbucks at Hy-Vee in Fort Dodge has been welcoming customers since March.

“You walk in the south entryway doors and it’s a kiosk right there to your left next to the registers on the left side of the door across from floral,” Tim Flaherty, the store director at the Fort Dodge Hy-Vee, said. “You can stop in and get a Starbucks coffee and drink your Starbucks as you shop through the aisles to get groceries.”

Alternatively, one can consume Starbucks selections in the relaxed atmosphere of the store’s cafe — the recently refurbished and enhanced Market Grille Express.

“You can come in and get your Starbucks and visit with your friends,” Flaherty said.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter Hy-Vee Starbucks Manager Geoff Lund pours a blended drink.

The offerings are in sync with what is sold at any of the more than 25,000 Starbucks outlets that are present not throughout the United States, but worldwide. The full range of coffee options is on the menu locally, but that’s just part of the story.

“We have the breakfast sandwiches,” Flaherty said. “We have the fresh breads. We have muffins. We have the different meals that they serve.”

Also for sale are assorted other Starbucks merchandise and novelty items such as coffee cups.

Keeping quality high

Starbucks at Hy-Vee is staffed by Hy-Vee employees who are attired in the familiar Starbucks black shirts and green aprons. All have undergone training regarding Starbucks products.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter Kaylee Lanus serves up a Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew at the Hy-Vee Starbucks. These Narino cold brews are steeped for 24 hours.

“They have gone through specialized training,” Flaherty said. “It usually takes one to two weeks to be barista trained.”

He said about a dozen Hy-Vee employees have been selected to work at the Starbucks counter with two or three on duty at any given hour. While the store is open 24 hours a day the Starbucks kiosk welcomes patrons on a more limited schedule. Its hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Keeping the Starbucks at Hy-Vee faithful to the special features that have made Starbucks an international sensation is a priority.

“We follow strict Starbucks guidelines,” Flaherty said. “There are monthly conference calls and there is an area Starbucks supervisor who stops in to make sure all the specs are the way they should be. The employees have done an outstanding job. They are excited to make Starbucks coffee for the residents in the community. It’s been a good addition to Fort Dodge Hy-Vee.”

Bringing the Starbucks experience to Hy-Vee’s world is part of a companywide game plan, according to Flaherty.

“Hy-Vee and Starbucks have formed a nice partnership,” he said. “It’s something we believe is an added attraction to the store. It enhances the ambiance of the store. It’s part of our commitment to one-stop shopping. It is in a lot of Hy-Vee stores throughout the whole company. There are variations of where they are located. A lot of times we keep them right inside the front doors where people can walk in and get a cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon to enjoy.”

Starbucks at Hy-Vee in Fort Dodge is managed by Geoff Lund, who is a Fort Dodge native who has recently returned to his hometown.

Flaherty said the customer response to this new addition to the local store has been superb.

“It’s amazing how many people like to have a Starbucks coffee,” he said.

Revamped store

Adding the Starbucks kiosk is part of a comprehensive revamping of the Fort Dodge Hy-Vee store that has been underway since summer 2016 and is now finished.

“The building is 20 years old. It needed to be refreshed,” Flaherty said, noting that the outside was redone starting last summer. “Then we worked inside the store. We had to move some grocery items around because we lost an aisle. That was also to make room for Starbucks. We had to shift everything. We extended the Health Market. That’s been a nice addition. We enlarged produce. We moved the registers more toward the north. We doubled the size of the pharmacy. We did a whole new decor package inside the store.”

And just this month something else was added.

“We just started our new sushi program in the store,” Flaherty said. “We are making fresh sushi daily back in our Chinese department. It has gone over very well. It has a 24-hour shelf life and then we turn around and make fresh sushi.”