Cub Foods store off Lake Street, destroyed by rioting, reopens Wednesday

The Minneapolis Cub Foods store off Lake Street that was looted and heavily damaged by rioting after the May killing of George Floyd will reopen Wednesday at 6 a.m.

The store at 2850 S. 26th Av. closed along with more than a dozen other businesses in the area, including two Aldi stores, Target and Family Dollar. Both Aldi stores reopened last year. Target reopened in November.

"The reopening of the 75,000-square-foot store represents our commitment to the community," said Cub Chief Executive Mike Stigers in an interview at the store Tuesday. "It's about a sense of hope and a beacon of positivity. What normally would have taken a year took six and a half months."

Several new features have been added in the remodeling after soliciting community input, including a global foods market with Mediterranean, Hispanic and Caribbean offerings.

A stand with tortillas made fresh daily will open in a few weeks. It will be a first among Cub stores.

The community wanted more openness, and more fresh products and meat choices, Stigers said.

About 20% more products have been added along with an expanded salad bar, meat and seafood department and refrigerated cases. An area for e-commerce orders and designated spaces for curbside pickup are new.

"I'm looking forward to the reopening," said Channing Gamble of Minneapolis as she shopped at the Lake Street Target on Tuesday. "I like Cub's variety and what I want is almost always in stock."

Store hours will remain the same at 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. The pharmacy will open Wednesday as well and a TCF branch in the store should be back in business within a month.

In June, Cub began operating a free shuttle to carry customers to and from the Minneapolis store in the Quarry. The following month, Cub opened a 13,000-square-foot community store out of a tent in the parking lot and maintained the shuttle service.

The temporary community market tent has closed and will be removed soon.

Cub officials did not indicate the cost of the remodel but in September, Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. of St. Paul was issued a permit for $1.1 million for the project.

On April 4, Cub will fully reopen the Minneapolis store on Broadway, also damaged in the rioting. It will be renamed Northside Cub by community request and include space for a community center.

The Cub Foods off Lake Street is a franchised store owned by Jerry's Enterprises in Edina. Jerry's owns and operates several stores under its Jerry's Foods banner and 17 franchised Cub stores in the metro area.

Other businesses forced to close near Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue due to destruction from rioting are making a slow comeback, according to Ingrid Rasmussen of Longfellow Rising, a community group that formed after George Floyd's killing.

Auto Zone has started rebuilding, the owners of Minnehaha Liquors plan to rebuild and several restaurants have relocated temporarily with hopes of returning, Rasmussen said. Arby's does not plan to rebuild due to concerns about unrest at the trial verdict.