Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Minneapolis News
Regina Medina

Two new grocery stores opening in Minneapolis, one of them in former Aldi storefront

ALDI store is seen
The Aldi in north Minneapolis closed over a year ago. Now, a new grocery store is coming in to serve the community. Colonial Market will have two locations in Minneapolis, one in the former Aldi location.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Two supermarkets are opening in Minneapolis. City and business officials announced Tuesday that the two new Colonial Market stores will create 40 jobs.

The south Minneapolis store will open in September in the Hi-Lake Shopping Center. The north side market will open in December in the space left behind by Aldi, on North Penn and North Lowry avenues. When the store closed, residents were left with fewer grocery options.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said each neighborhood needs a school, a park and a grocery store — which he said is more than a place where residents can buy fresh fruits, vegetables and meats.

“It provides a pride in the neighborhood that we already knew has been there, but it bolsters it even further by saying, hey, look, we have a grocery store,” he said. “We have a place where we can gather.”

Owner Daniel Hernandez already owns a Colonial Market and Restaurant on Nicolette Avenue near 28th Street. 

Hernandez, who describes himself as Afro-Mexican, stood in the parking lot of the old Aldi in north Minneapolis.

“My heart is with north,” he said.

When Hernandez learned Aldi was leaving the site, he saw his opportunity.

“Okay, they're leaving, and I need to make sure I can get in,” he said. Hernandez called the mayor, who connected him with developer David Wellington. Wellington Management owns the old Aldi property.

When the German-based Aldi left north Minneapolis, residents and city officials were disappointed the popular supermarket, easily accessible by public transportation, had been shuttered. A Cub Foods near Lyndale and West Broadway avenues is about two miles away, but that meant longer bus rides or longer walks for many residents.

“We connected the two parties, and lo and behold, we’re getting not just one grocery store, but two of them, one on the north side, one on the south side,” Frey said. “The parties all came together.”

Both markets will include restaurants featuring Mexican food. 

Council member Jeremiah Ellison said he was pleased to hear about the job creation.

“Glad to hear that Daniel has a vision of making sure that those 40 jobs that are here are mainly held by folks who can walk to work, bike to work, you know, who live in the neighborhood,” Ellison said.

He said he was grateful for northside businesses such as Colonial Market who look at the area and say, “That’s a business opportunity. I want to be there. I’m going to go there.”

MPR News reporter Cari Spencer contributed to this report.