“Same mediocre store with new parking lot”

A new King Soopers store opened Wednesday, June 3, at 4201 E. Arkansas Ave. The $37-million facility replaces the more than 50-year-old Belcaro location just up Colorado Boulevard, which closed the day before. That property is set for demolition and redevelopment by Kentro Group, the same company that built the new place on the former Colorado Department of Transportation site.

The new store is huge in comparison — 103,000 square feet — with much wider aisles, a fuel center, a Murray’s Cheese Shop, a Starbucks, a drive-thru pharmacy, an expanded beauty and wellness area, and a huge cookware and kitchen appliance section.

But the Westword Instagram story about the new store prompted some of the same old criticisms of King Soopers. Says wheres_the_cherry19h:

Too much locked up. No new food items. All self-checkout. Same mediocre store with new parking lot.

Responds as_joelsaw_it22h:

It’s such a nice store. Prob the best Kings built so far!

Says babalonkillz22h:

I hope people can fucking walk right in there, because I’m so tired of going to King Soopers and it’s anarchy trying to navigate around.

Wonders ehm_ess12h:

Why does it look like Walmart?

Offers jacques__jams21h

Oh, cool: A new, larger space for union busting and anti-competitive tactics to screw over consumers and employees alike. Thanks, @krogerco!

AAKA photoapeal3h:

They can’t even run the smaller stores decently; what makes you think this will be any different?

Suggests noco_alan16h

We need Aldi and HEB. It’s long past time for a better grocer in Colorado.

Concludes johnr204219h:

Could’ve built housing, but local nimbys said “screw that, we want a duplicate grocery store with a bigger parking lot.” And that’s what we got.

Have you been to the new King Soopers? What did you think? What’s your favorite grocery store in town? What’s your least favorite? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.