Hy-Vee Was Named 2024’s Number One Grocery Chain in America

USA Today has released the list of the best grocery stores across the country as part of their 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, and we're happy to report that an Iowa-based chain was the top pick! Hy-Vee was ranked number one in 2024. The article reads:

"Employee-owned Hy-Vee's slogan is 'a helpful smile in every aisle,' and you'll find those grins in more than 280 stores across the Midwest. Hy-Vee works with farmers to provide locally grown fruits and vegetables, and many of the locations offer food counters with colossal salad bars and items like meatloaf, Asian food, pizza, and fried chicken."

According to Hy-Vee's website, the chain was founded by Charles Hyde (Hy) and David Vredenburg (Vee) back in 1930 in Beaconsfield, Iowa. Over the past 90 years, the company has continued to grow and expand. The Des Moines Register reports that Hy-Vee is Iowa's largest employer, and there are stores across the Midwest, including Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Hy-Vee also made the top ten for USA Today's list of best prepared food and best produce for 2024.

If you're wondering what other grocery stores made the cut, many of them don't have any locations in the state of Iowa! The list includes

• #2 - The Fresh Market (0 Iowa locations)
• #3 - Heinen's Grocery Store (0 Iowa locations)
• #4 - Stew Leonard's (0 Iowa locations)
• #5 - Gelson's Markets (0 Iowa locations)
• #6 - ALDI (39 Iowa locations)
• #7 - Publix (0 Iowa locations)
• #8 - Trader Joe's (2 Iowa locations)
• #9 - Wegmans Food Markets (0 Iowa locations)
• #10 - Fresh Thyme Market (2 Iowa locations)

Which grocery store chain is your favorite? Let us know by sending us a message on our station app!