The largest university in Pittsburgh, PA decided to renovate a space and operate their own grocery / convenience store. It was a bold move since they had little experience in this type of operation. Fortunately, this space was also located on the main thoroughfare thru the campus so it lent itself to a new retail opportunity. It also lent itself to some challenging installation issues. Most notably, all of the bulk refrigeration had to be remoted downstairs to a mechanical room that had difficult access and was too small to begin with. We had to field assemble the refrigeration rack and pipe the lines thru a maze of corridors, but it worked out fine.
Staples such as milk, eggs, meats and cheeses are displayed in large refrigerated grocery store type cases all along the perimeter. Juices and frozen foods have their own cases. High margin prepared cold foods are showcased in an attractive glass-front case ready to be bought or served. Deli meats and cheeses are available to be custom sliced. Hot foods like pizza and wings are easily purchased from heated shelves and can be packaged to go.
The University merchandised all kinds of goods on the floor to emulate the “Market style” experience. 1 year later, they are “killing it” and are considering expanding the concept!
