on January 26, 2014 at 6:30 AM OTSEGO, MI - Aldi continues to expand in Southwest Michigan, with plans to open its fifth area store in Otsego this fall."Kalamazoo County has been an excellent place for us to do business for many years and we really enjoyed more success when we added the West Main store several years ago," said David Kapusansky, director of real estate for Aldi in Michigan.So look for more of the no-frills, discount supermarkets here and in other parts of the state.The Otsego location is among five stores the business expects to open in Michigan this year, with others planned for Three Rivers, Portage, South Haven and Okemus.On Jan. 15, the Otsego Township Board approved site plans for the supermarket chain to demolish three buildings at 1323 W. M-89 in order to build a 17,018-square-foot store there.The existing buildings are currently home to what is considered the Kalamazoo Branch of Romulus-based K&D Industrial Services Inc. The 3-acre site has been rezoned from industrial to commercial.
K&D, whose services include industrial cleaning, environmental remediation and transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, has plans to relocate to another area location.Aldi is expected to begin demolition work on the existing K&D structures -- on the north side of M-89, across from the Walmart store and the Oaks Crossing shopping center -- sometime in April or May, said Jodi Milks, a commercial real estate broker for the Kalamazoo office of The Bradley Co. who brokered the land transaction between K&D and Aldi.If all goes well, construction is to start this summer, with the store open in time for Thanksgiving, Kapusanski said.Aldi will open a store at 1220 W. Broadway in Three Rivers on Feb. 20. And it plans to open a store in July in the 6300 block of South Westnedge Avenue in Portage (an address for the space which is being renovated has not yet been assigned). Another supermarket is to open in September in South Haven and another in Okemus in the fall.Aldi, which is German company but established its U.S. base in suburban
Chicago in 1976, opened its first Michigan stores in 1992 in Benton Harbor and Battle Creek. It now has 60 locations in the Great Lakes State, not counting the five that are to open this year.The chain includes about 1,300 supermarkets in 32 states in the Midwest, East, Southeast and southern United States, with plans to expand to the West Coast in the next few years.Its opened its first Kalamazoo-area store in 1993 at 3720 Gull Road, said District Manager Lisa Daly. second location at 5355 W. Main St. in October of 2008.Kapusansky said, "We've been looking (for a location) on Westnedge for quite a while and we think that is aAnd in Plainwell/Otsego, I think that area is a great draw for the folks between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. So it really ties together two excellent markets for Aldi." The company added three stores in Michigan last year – in Brighton, Cadillac and Big Rapids. year, it will expand the size of its stores in Benton Harbor, Jackson and Adrian, adding an additional aisle to accommodate more refrigeration and showcase space
for its expanded fresh food offerings such as fresh meats, yogurt and upscale going to continue on an aggressive pace," he said. "We're only mapped out for five years but we'll add another 20." Aldi touts its ability to offer prices that are 30 to 50 percent lower that other supermarkets, Kapusansky said its target market is not just are looking the vast majority of county residents," he said. "We are not tied to an income level. We have seen success at all income levels because we've expanded "I come here to pick up nonperishables," said Michelle Boodt, who makes a 35-mile trek from her home in Decatur to the Aldi store on West Main Street about twice a month. Although she said four of her seven children have moved out of her house, she has grandchildren and others to feed.Charity Dear, of Plainwell, said she has been shopping at Aldi forShe and her husband, Tony, have four children, ages 18 months to 9 years."When they build the new store, I'll never have to leave Plainwell (Otsego Township)," she said with a laugh.
Aldi focused on nonperishables until about 10 years ago when it added fresh meat, produce and other food items. Kapusansky estimated that at least 90 percent of Aldi's products are produced or grown for the stores and sold under its brand name. And in recent years, the company has introduced a nature foods line and a fit-and-active food line. "We give you high-quality food for that lower price," Kapusansky It tries to keep its prices low by limiting its spending on advertising and major marketing, having its workers perform multiple tasks on flexible work schedules, and having customers bring their own bags and box or bag their own Of having less marketing than other stores, he said, "If you go in and trust the food, and you're shocked at how much food you get for the dollar, you go and tell your neighbor. And that is how we grow." The location of the Otsego store will be about a half-mile west of U.S. 131, and includes a half-acre parcel that Bradley Co. is working to fill with a smaller retail tenant.
“A small drive-through restaurant would be ideal,” Milks said.“There’s still activity in that market from a retail perspective,” Milks said. “For the last two years, we had a former Rite-Aid store across the street next to the movie theater (the M-89 Cinema in the Oaks Crossing Shopping Center). That was available for lease and now that’s full. We put a gym in there (Family Fitness) and so that plaza is full. There was a former Fashion Bug store in the same end of that plaza facing Walmart and that is now a mattress store.”She said there is very little vacancy there “and there’s still some retail that would like to be in the market although it’s a very small stretch of a retail corridor – between U.S. 131 and Walmart.” Follow me on Twitter at ajones5_al.It’s that time of year when you need to stock up on the mince pies. So pop some brandy cream and tea bags on your shopping list and get ready to get stuck into these tasty morsels with a nice cuppa. And don’t assume the most expensive brands are necessarily the best – our roundup reveals that some of this year’s best mince pies come from the budget brands.
1. Iceland Luxury Mince Pies: £1.50 for 6, Iceland These tasty morsels from the budget frozen food specialist beat a lot of the big players, thanks to the combination of juicy, glossy-looking mincemeat and buttery pastry, along with the home-made appearance. 2. Waitrose Christmas All Butter Mince Pies: £2.50 for 6, Waitrose Heat up these simply designed mince pies with crimped edges and hey presto, you’ve got yourself a real crowd-pleaser, thanks to the deep filling and melt-in-the-mouth pastry. You get more citrus than spice coming through, which means they can turn even those who don’t normally like mince pies. 3. Bettys Speciality Mince Pies: £12.50 for 12, Bettys Bettys sells two types of selections – one containing traditional mince pies with delightful cookie-cutter star tops, and this one containing six beautifully presented continental frangipane mince pies and six ricciarelli mince pies. Both are scrumptious, and well worth the extra dosh, although we favour the latter’s exotic almond flavours.
4. Cottage Delight Mini Almond Mince Pies: £6 for 9, John Lewis We think these bite-sized pies are a great after dinner treat that can be enjoyed either hot or cold. There’s not too much pastry (a common problem with petits fours-sized mince pies), with a simple almond sprinkling on the top of the full-flavoured mincemeat. Only problem is it’s hard to stop at one. 5. Aldi Specially Selected Exquisite Mince Pies: £2.99 for 6, Aldi Aldi’s gone off piste with its frangipane topping and what a great decision that was – it’s fluffy and decadent, with the almond taste giving a really rich and sophisticated flavour, which balances well against the luscious filling that boasts a generous splash of seasonal cheer. A major thumbs up from us – and they look great too. 6. Marks & Spencer Handcrafted Ultimate Mini Mince Pies: £16 for 36, Marks & Spencer This eye-catching box of yuletide goodies makes for a lovely gift, not least because the mince pies taste every bit as good as they look, with moist, plump fruit in the filling, and a light, golden pastry casing.
There are three types, beautifully decorated with the likes of pecans, silver lustre and gold dusting. The collection comprises 36 pies, so this is one for the party hosts. 7. Harrods Classic Mince Pies with Brandy: £8.95 for 6, Harrods These aren’t the cheapest in our round-up, but the rich brandy-laden filling – which, by the way, is more citrusy than spicy – and thick, crumbly, golden pastry makes them a decadent option. If you heat them up, the smell is wonderful. 8. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference All Butter Mince Pies: £2 for 6, Sainsbury’s And now for those who prefer a really well-spiced filling. We found the fruits are chewy, tangy and utterly delicious, while the thick shortcrust pastry is flaky and buttery. Definitely best eaten warm from the oven, with a nice dollop of brandy cream. 9. The Foods of Athenry Very Fruity Mince Pies Gluten Free: £4.50 for 4, Ocado Despite being determined to include a gluten-free option in our round-up, we almost gave up as most are truly bin-worthy.
So we were all the more delighted to come across these handmade ones, which have a generous portion of succulent filling that hits the perfect balance between sweet and tangy, and a pastry that – although very crumbly – is delicious, especially when served hot. 10. Fortnum & Mason Petits Fours Almond Mince Pies: £18.95 for 32, Fortnum and Mason What kind of household needs 32 mince pies in one box, you may be thinking – but this bumper pack of mini mince pies are so utterly divine that you have no need to worry about leftovers. Includes traditional, almond, St Clement’s and even dark chocolate. 11. Riverford Mince Pies: £4.99 for 6, Riverford Riverford is a one-stop festive shop if you like your yuletide goodies both delicious and organic. Its mince pies are handmade with rich, buttery and reasonably thick pastry and a luscious filling of vine fruit, citrus peel, Bramley apples and a princely dash of brandy. Great for pretending you made them yourself. 12. Tesco Finest All Butter Pastry Deep Filled Mince Pies with Courvoisier VS Cognac: £2 for 6, Tesco
These pretty looking pies look attractive on the plate and the pastry is rich and buttery, while the mincemeat has a good glug of brandy added to the moist, ripe fruits. There’s a nice amount of spice too. But the pastry could be a bit more crumbly. 13. Lottie Shaw’s Seriously Good Mince Pies: £3.20 for 4, Ocado These shallow-filled mince pies mean you’re sure to get a generous portion of succulent mincemeat in every mouthful. The pastry is sweet and crumbly and finished off with a scattering of caster sugar. The packaging is gorgeous too. Iceland’s Luxury Mince Pies boast crumbly, buttery pastry and are generously filled with sweet fruity, boozy mincemeat. And they cost a fraction of their more exclusive rivals. We also fell in love with Bettys Speciality Mince Pies, which are unusual, exotic and thoroughly indulgent. IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage.