Grand Rapids, Mich. – As excitement for Capital City Market’s fall opening continues to grow – making it one of the first grocery stores in downtown Lansing – Meijer announced today that Mitch Cook will lead its neighborhood grocery store within the development at Michigan Ave. and Larch St.

Cook joined Meijer in 2018 with more than 15 years of retail experience, primarily at Winn Dixie in Florida, working his way up from a bagger to grocery manager to store director. The Florida native was charged with re-opening 14 stores in Louisiana after they were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

“Grocery retail is in my blood, it’s what I know and what I love,” said Cook, who previously held leadership roles at the Okemos and Ionia Meijer supercenters. “I believe in these small format markets and am excited to help make Capital City Market a source for community pride, fresh food and tremendous value for downtown residents.”

At 37,000 square feet, Capital City Market will be a neighborhood grocery store operated by Meijer. The store will focus on offering customers a unique grocery shopping experience, much like the retailer’s first small format store, Bridge Street Market, which opened in August 2018 in Grand Rapids, and Woodward Corner Market that opened in January 2020. It will be on the first floor of the BLOCK600 development and will feature a vast assortment of fresh food; local, artisan products; and Meijer and national brand products at everyday low prices.

Capital City Market will also feature:

• An estimated 3,000 local, artisan products from brands, including Stone Circle Bakerhouse, Great Harvest, Woody’s Oasis, Mr. Leslie’s Cheesecake, Round Lake Produce, Blue Owl Coffee and Tantay Peruvian Cuisine
• An expansive international food aisle that will feature eight ethnic backgrounds, including Middle Eastern, kosher, Hispanic, European and Asian foods
• A Ferris coffee shop with a full functioning coffee and espresso bar
• Fresh and prepared foods, including bakery items, fresh meat and deli offerings
• An expansive beer, wine and liquor counter featuring a rolling ladder
• Basic cleaning items and health and beauty care products
• 18-foot ceilings
• Open air elements, a designed inspired by local culture in downtown’s Stadium District, and six garage-style doors with outdoor fresh produce and floral area

“The community has really embraced our small format stores because they offer a new way to bring an extensive variety of fresh and locally-sourced groceries to our customers,” said Justin Stricklen, Director of Market Format Stores for Meijer. “We are excited to build on that momentum with Capital City Market and work with community partners to continue to enhance downtown Lansing.”

The beauty of Capital City Market lies within its flexibility to focus on customer requests.

“I am excited to lead a great team that will focus on helping our customers find what they need for their families,” said Cook, who is also responsible for the entire store’s merchandise. “We will be able to make quick decisions to accommodate in-the-moment customer requests.”

About Capital City Market

Capital City Market is a new neighborhood grocery store operated by Meijer that focuses on bringing fresh food and value to customers in a market-like setting. It resides on the first floor of the mixed-use BLOCK600 development at the intersection of Michigan Ave. and Larch St. in downtown Lansing. Capital City Market will provide residents and businesses alike access to fresh food and easily accessible convenience items in a one-of-a-kind store.