The opening of the Willy Street Co-op North store marked the grocery cooperative’s third retail location. It also filled a void on Madison’s northside after the previous grocery tenant closed, leaving the area without a grocer. The 20,000 sqft. space was designed and remodeled over an expedited, four-month schedule. By focusing on areas that were critical to infusing the Willy Street brand into the existing space, the design team was able to stretch the construction budget to include new lighting, wall finishes, community room updates, and casework at Customer Service, Alcohol, and Wellness. The store opened with sales exceeding expectations and a record number of new owners.
Following strong first year sales, Willy Street worked again with Aro Eberle Architects to add a highly requested Juice Bar within the store’s existing footprint. The design blended the branded Juice Bar elements from East with a more compact footprint that had minimal impact on fixture reduction.