"Kwik Trip." That was the answer from Deanna Kuennen, Farmington's community and economic development director, when the Pioneer Press asked this summer where people could buy groceries in town if not at the new shop downtown.
The paper reported in July 2026 that Farmington, a city of more than 25,000, had gone six years without a grocery store. That stretch started in 2019, when Family Fresh Market closed after its parent company, SpartanNash, chose not to renew the lease.
The store that ended the gap is a family-run shop at 115 Elm St., not the large supermarket the city cleared the way for at County Road 50 and Denmark Avenue. For anyone cooking dinner in Farmington this fall, the shopping list starts downtown and follows a seasonal calendar that runs out in November.
The big store was approved twice and built zero times
The large-format plan had real momentum. Here is how the Vermillion River Crossings site played out, based on the Pioneer Press account:
- 2016: Hy-Vee wins approval for a 78,000-square-foot grocery store plus a 4,100-square-foot convenience store near County Road 50 and Denmark Avenue.
- 2017: Aldi gets the green light to build at the same development.
- 2021: After years of deferring tax assessments on Hy-Vee's two parcels with no construction, the city council approves $2.05 million in special assessments against the grocer.
- 2022: Hy-Vee drops the plan, saying the site no longer fit its strategy of larger stores spaced farther apart.
- July 2026: Both the Hy-Vee and Aldi parcels are listed for sale.
The Aldi piece explains a lot. Kuennen told the paper that Aldi considers itself "a second," meaning it won't be a community's first grocery store. "The city has had multiple meetings with Aldi to try to entice them to build their store, but that's not how their model works," she said. When Hy-Vee put its land up for sale, Aldi did the same.
Aldi was waiting for an anchor that never arrived. With no anchor, there was no second store either.
The city's study points to a different corner and a smaller store
In early 2025 the Farmington Economic Development Authority hired ROIC analytics to test whether a grocery store could work in town. Kuennen said the city ordered the study "to make sure it's not just anecdotal."
The March 2025 report doesn't model a Hy-Vee-sized store at Vermillion River Crossings. Its base case is a 30,000-square-foot independent grocer "to be named later" at the southeast corner of Pilot Knob Road and Highway 50, with extra projections at 40,000 and 50,000 square feet. The largest scenario it tests is still well under the 78,000 square feet Hy-Vee was approved for.
The reason for an independent is spelled out in the study itself. It says most chains in the Minneapolis area already have stores in the towns around Farmington and are "less likely to add an additional store here that might impact their current locations," and it shows Cub Foods, Walmart and Hy-Vee drawing Farmington shoppers to their stores nearby. In other words, the stores in Lakeville, Apple Valley and Rosemount are part of why a chain would hesitate to open here.
The study's trade area reaches past city limits: about three miles west, four miles north and six-plus miles south and east of central Farmington, with roughly 33,000 residents. It assumes about 2,500 more by 2028, mostly from housing projects near the tested site. Projected first-year weekly sales run from $419,749 for a 30,000-square-foot store to $566,249 for a 50,000-square-foot store, assuming a 2028 opening. These are model outputs, not a planned store.
As of the EDA director's report for September 2026, the study was "actively being used to market Farmington to groceries, developers, wholesalers," and staff were planning a public-facing recruitment push, likely with community surveys and a market-information web page drawing on the K-State Rural Grocery Initiative. The report doesn't name a grocer or a deal.
What opened on Elm Street instead
Salaam Global Flavors Grocery opened in June 2026 and held its ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 25. It sells fresh produce, pantry staples, spices and teas from around the world, and homemade sambusa. The owner is Keneni Ababulgu. Her husband, Farris Adam, told the Pioneer Press the couple used to live in Farmington and would "drive miles away to get small stuff." They live in Lakeville now and came back to open the store because "we understand the need for the community."
Kuennen called it something other than what some people think of as a "traditional" grocery store, but said Salaam has "stepped into the marketplace to try to fill that need."
The city backed it in a concrete way. Farmington raised its 2026 MicroGrant match ceiling to $10,000 per award and set aside $50,000 for the program. Salaam was one of the June awardees, along with Farmington Greenhouse, Chill Studio, and Farmington Gymnastics and Cheer. The September EDA report shows Salaam requested $10,000 for grocery equipment and lists the grant's status as "In progress."
Downtown parking changed at about the same time. The city's June newsletter announced 15-minute "Quick Stop Spots" at four downtown corners after local businesses asked for easier short-stop parking. Fifteen minutes is about right for grabbing produce and tea on the way home.
Reported hours differ by source. Sun Thisweek listed 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, while DoorDash shows ordering from 10 a.m. to 6:40 p.m. If you're heading over near closing time, call ahead.
The rest of the in-town food map runs on a seasonal calendar
The other fresh-food options in town are seasonal, and all of them are near the end of their 2026 runs:
| Where | What | When it ends |
|---|---|---|
| Farmington Farmers Market, Celts Pub & Grill lot, 200 Third St. | Thursday market, listed 2:30 to 6 p.m. | Last listed date is Thursday, Oct. 29 |
| Brand Farms Open-Air Farm Market, 18605 Biscayne Ave. W. | Daily market, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Nov. 22 |
| Brand Farms U-pick, activities and hayrides | Weekends | Nov. 1 |
| Brand Barn, same address | Apples, eggs, meat and other farm goods, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily | Year-round listing |
The farmers market's end date comes from an event listing, and an older city calendar entry has the closing time at 6:30 p.m., so check before you go late on Oct. 29. At Brand Farms, Haralson U-pick opens today, Oct. 3, and SnowSweet apples are expected the week of Oct. 5. The farm also lists extra activity hours on Friday, Oct. 9, from noon to 4 p.m., and on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Put those together and October is the best month of the year for buying food in Farmington: Salaam on Elm Street, the Thursday market on Third Street, and Brand Farms open every day. By the last week of November, the seasonal stops have closed and Salaam is the only grocery store in town.
Why the car still matters, and what might change it
The Pioneer Press noted that residents with cars can shop at several big-name grocery stores in nearby Lakeville, Apple Valley or Rosemount, and that people without vehicles have far fewer choices.
The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority has applied for Regional Solicitation grant money to extend MVTA Connect, its on-demand microtransit service, into Farmington and Lakeville. Mayor Nicholas Lien signed a letter supporting the application. The proposal covers three years of service totaling roughly $7.64 million. Rides would cost $3 one way and would connect Farmington with MVTA's main zone of Apple Valley, Burnsville, Rosemount and Savage. Trips within Farmington wouldn't be offered. If everything goes to plan, service could start in 2030.
So the backup plan for getting to a full-size supermarket is a ride out of town, possibly starting four years from now. The grocery shopping inside Farmington is happening on Elm Street. The city council meets next on Oct. 5, and the EDA meets on Oct. 19.
Changes downtown, from a new grocery store to new short-stop parking, can affect how buyers see the Farmington area. If you're wondering how today's Farmington compares with the town buyers saw a few years ago, Huerkamp Home Group can walk you through it with recent local sales. Get Your Free Market Valuation and see where your home stands this fall.
