There were tears in the produce section at the Hy-Vee in Savage.
As Martin Birgholtz, the store's in-house "produce butcher," ran his knife through a yellow onion, dicing it into uniform pieces, the vegetable's eye-stinging fumes wafted up. An onlooker's eyes turned red and tear-filled.
But thanks to Birgholtz's talent with a blade, home cooks don't have to cry anymore, especially the ones who detest the rinsing, peeling and mincing required before a meal can land on the table.
Facing slumping sales and stiff competition from online retailers and meal delivery kits, supermarkets are ramping up amenities to lure busy shoppers. They're adding clothing departments, high-end cosmetics, full-service restaurants, and now, vegetable butchers.
For a fee, plant-based sous chefs armed with cutting boards and sharp knives will slice, dice or julienne whatever needs chopping.
New to Minnesota, the concept is taking hold throughout the country at select high-end supermarkets. A main target is millennials, who are more likely than the average shopper to skip the supermarket and buy groceries online, according to a recent Harris Poll.
Three grocery stores in Minnesota — Hy-Vee in Savage and Coborn's in Isanti and Sartell — have introduced on-demand vegetable butchers. Many others have expanded their refrigerated sections with containers of pre-chopped produce that are easy to grab and go.
"It just saves time," said James Northern of Prior Lake, who was buying pre-cut bell peppers and onions at Hy-Vee to keep in the fridge and throw into omelets and stir-frys. "I just flew in, just got home. So you stop by the grocery store, pick up the chopped vegetables and it cuts down on your cooking time."