THE FRIDAY 5: Hy-Vee’s In-Store Restaurant Swap; New CEOs for Grocery Outlet, Fresh Market

1. Hy-Vee Says Goodbye to Wahlburgers

Readers were interested this week in news that Midwest grocer Hy-Vee is changing up its foodservice program, transitioning back to the Market Grille concept in all of its locations with in-store restaurants. The move marks a return to the retailer’s own dining brand following a multi-year partnership with the Wahlburgers chain. 

Hy-Vee said there will be no staffing changes and that stores will continue to carry Wahlburgers retail products. An updated menu will also accompany the Market Grille rollout, including new breakfast options and enhanced lunch and dinner options.

2. C-Suite Moves at Grocery Outlet, The Fresh Market and Weis Markets

It was a big week for executive moves, starting with Grocery Outlet’s appointment of Jason Potter as its new president and CEO, effective Feb. 3. Potter will succeed Eric J. Lindberg Jr., who has been interim president and CEO since October 2024, after R.J. Sheedy stepped away from the position and resigned from the company’s board of directors.

Potter joins Grocery Outlet from The Fresh Market, where he has been CEO and a board member since March 2020. For its part, The Fresh Market appointed Brian Johnson president and CEO, also effective Feb. 3. Johnson has been COO at The Fresh Market since 2020, having brought more than 30 years of experience to that role.

Meanwhile, Weis Markets promoted Bob Gleeson to chief operating officer, where he will oversee the Mid-Atlantic food retailer’s merchandising, marketing, advertising, store operations, information technology, asset protection and pharmacy departments. Gleeson joined the company in 2018 and most recently held the role of SVP of merchandising and marketing.

3. Walmart Cuts the Ribbon on New Home Office, Gives Managers a Pay Bump

The unveiling of Walmart’s new home office made news this week. Plans for the 350-acre campus were revealed in 2019; the retailer based its design off its associates' input to "live better." Since then, some campus amenities, including Walton Family Whole Health & Fitness and Little Squiggles Children’s Enrichment Center, have already opened.

According to Cindi Marsiglio, SVP of corporate real estate, sustainability and technology played key roles in every design decision. “Our campus is designed to reflect a sustainable future with buildings constructed from mass timber – the largest application of its kind in the U.S. – and designed to achieve LEED Platinum standards,” she wrote in a recent blog post.

This week also brought news that Walmart is increasing pay for some of its top-performing market managers. Those associates can now make between $420,000 and $620,000 per year with full bonuses, according to a Wall Street Journal report. 

The retailer’s market managers oversee multiple stores within a region. Their annual base pay is also being increased to $160,000 per year, up from $130,000, and the maximum base pay they can make will stay at $260,000.

4. Takeaways From NRF Big Show

PG Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Gina Acosta walked more than 60,000 steps over three days as she took to the floor at this year’s NRF Big Show, and she shared the top five takeaways for grocers from the event. Artificial intelligence had a major presence at the show, and grocery retailers have significant opportunities to leverage generative and agentic AI to improve forecasting, personalization, operational efficiency and revenue growth.

Acosta also noted opportunities in supply chain, frictionless experiences and operational efficiency. Read on to learn more.

5. Q&A With Heritage Grocers’ New CEO 

Suzy Monford recently took the top spot at Heritage Grocers, and sat down with PG Senior Editor Lynn Petrak to discuss her vision for the company’s Cardenas Markets, El Rancho Supermercado and Tony’s Fresh Market banners. 

“I’m so thrilled and grateful to be here to have this opportunity. It’s a privilege,” Monford said. “We are the largest and most diverse Hispanic grocer in the U.S. and we operate stores in six states across the country so far with more to come.”

Continued Monford: “In 2025, we will continue to win the perimeter by elevating our fresh offerings – that’s our point of difference – and we are going to continue to work center store as we bring in the best grocery and store products from around the world. Our mission is to absolutely drive value, to grow our base of loyal customers through our customer-facing app and other digital offers and to hold the line on inflation. That comes via smart and collaborative relationships with our CPG suppliers and others.”