A new 100,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace is set to open on Owensboro's east side on Nov. 5, bringing a drive-thru pharmacy, a Wine & Spirits Shoppe, Murray's Cheese, sushi and a Starbucks to the Gateway Commons development at 3914 Fairview Drive. The grand opening arrives just as Kroger's longtime East 4th Street store prepares to close, marking a significant reshuffling of the grocer's footprint in Daviess County.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. on Nov. 5, with community leaders, Kroger employees and residents invited to attend, according to The Owensboro Times. The new store will carry all of Kroger's signature fresh-food departments alongside a fuel center, home goods and the pharmacy drive-thru, rounding out a format the company has increasingly leaned on to anchor its biggest markets.
Kroger says it invested $42 million in the Owensboro store, though earlier reporting from the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation described the project as a $35 million investment expected to create more than 200 jobs. The economic development corporation also said local economic development and population growth factored into Kroger's decision to add a fourth store to Daviess County.
What's Inside the New Marketplace
Beyond the specialty departments, the Owensboro location will include Kroger's full grocery lineup alongside the sushi bar, cheese shop and coffee counter that have become hallmarks of the Marketplace banner. The format itself dwarfs a typical grocery store — Marketplace locations generally run between 99,000 and 130,000 square feet, compared with an average U.S. grocery store of about 44,000 square feet, per the same account from Grocery Dive.
Josh Harpole, Kroger's division president, said the Marketplace combines fresh food, everyday essentials and expanded services to make shopping more convenient. He added that he is grateful to Owensboro's leaders and community for their partnership in making the investment possible, and said the store reflects Kroger's commitment to investing in Owensboro and serving local families.
East 4th Street Store Closing as New Location Opens
The opening comes as Kroger's East 4th Street store at 2308 East 4th Street is set to close on or before Nov. 4, just a day before the new Marketplace welcomes its first customers. The Owensboro Times reported that associates at the closing location will be given employment opportunities at Kroger's other locations, which include stores at 2630 Frederica Street and 1670 Starlite Drive.
Opening-day promotions will run from Nov. 5 through Nov. 10. The first 250 customers in line are set to receive a $15 Kroger gift card, while Kroger cardholders can get an extra 20 cents off per gallon of fuel and $10 off a purchase of $125 or more in a single transaction. A Starbucks promotion will also offer $2 off a grande-sized or larger drink.
Part of a Bigger Marketplace Push
The Owensboro debut fits into a broader national expansion of the Marketplace concept. Kroger plans to open numerous Marketplace locations across Indiana, Texas and West Virginia over the next two years, according to Grocery Dive, which reports the company plans to spend $200 million on Central Division store building, expansion and upgrades this year. Each Marketplace store costs roughly $40 million to develop, the outlet notes, even as Kroger has said it intends to close about 60 underperforming stores by the end of 2026.
Kroger opened a similarly sized, 123,000-square-foot Marketplace in Clarksville, Tennessee last November, a $41 million project the company said would create approximately 150 local jobs, according to ClarksvilleNow. That store also featured Starbucks, Murray's Cheese and a fuel center, along with grand-opening giveaways that included a free-groceries-for-a-year prize. Kroger is also building a 122,000-square-foot Marketplace in South Charleston, West Virginia, which Grocery Dive reports will be the company's largest retail location in that state.
