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CAROL STREAM – It’s time for Carol Stream grocery shoppers to get their carts ready.
After poor winter weather conditions and the opening of another Caputo’s site in Downers Grove caused a delay in the store’s grand opening, Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets in Carol Stream opened its doors Sept. 25.
“The first day it opened it appeared to be a smashing success,” said Bob Glees, Carol Stream’s community development director. “I was there. It was full and looked great, and the feedback that we have heard since the event is that Caputo’s got a tremendous response from their customers and needs to hire more staff.”
The 100,000-square-foot grocery store at 520 E. North Ave. is one of many Caputo’s stores in the area. Other locations include Addison, Bloomingdale, Downers Grove, Elmwood Park, Hanover Park, Naperville and South Elgin.
With estimated annual sales revenue projected to be $30 million, the new grocery store will generate about $300,000 a year in sales tax revenue to the village, Carol Stream Finance Director Jon Batek said.
The new facility will offer environmentally friendly technology applications with an all-new carbon dioxide refrigeration system, the first installation of its kind in the United States and the largest application in the world, according to company documents. The facility also has installed interior and exterior LED lighting, as well as electric vehicle charging stations for customer convenience.
“It’s been a pretty big undertaking, and there was a lot that went into it,” owner Robertino Presta said. “The village has been working with us every step of the way, and they have been great.”
The store is still in the process of hiring and will have about 200 employees once hiring is completed, Presta said.
The owner said he was excited about the layout of the store, which follows a design similar to the Naperville location. Shaped in a diamond pattern, the perimeter of the store is lined with rooms that offer a variety of provisions, including bakery goods, fish, meats and bulk food items.
For customers who would like to have a bite to eat or drink before or after their shopping experience, there is a cafe that offers sandwiches, paninis, sushi, rotisserie chicken and an espresso bar where customers can select from cappuccino, gelato or wine and beer.
“We love the feel and the flow of it,” Presta said.