MR. K'S FOOD CENTER TO OPEN HERE

Mr. K's Food Center will open in Cape Girardeau this fall.

Mr. K's, a family supermarket operation with two stores in Pekin, Ill., will become the largest supermarket in Cape Girardeau when it opens on Silver Springs Road.

"We'll provide a full-service supermarket here," said Bob Schade, who will open and manage the store in the former 60,000-square-foot Shop 'n Save supermarket.

"We won't have a video department or a pharmacy," said Schade, grandson of the company's founder. "We will have a deli, bakery, special 'service' meat department and a full line of other grocery items."

Darrell Long, president of SuperValu's St. Louis and Scott City distribution centers, announced Monday that all "papers have been signed," and remodeling work will start soon for the new store.

SuperValu owns the property and will be Mr. K's distributor.

"We're excited about the new store," said Bill Whitlock, SuperValu's advertising and promotion manager at Scott City.

Schade and his family, wife, Wendy, and 20-month-old daughter, Courtney, have moved to Cape Girardeau.

"We're looking forward to a Nov. 1 opening," said Schade, who has been in the family business for four years.

The store, which will be open 24 hours a day, will employ about 100 people.

"This will be a nice store," said Long. "Groceries will be bagged and carried out for customers."

Long said prices should be competitive.

The former Shop 'n Save Warehouse Foods, which opened at 254 Silver Springs Road in October 1991, did not bag the groceries when it first opened. That store closed in February 1996.

At 60,000 square feet, the store will be somewhat larger than Schnucks Market and the grocery division of Wal-Mart.

"I think people will find the new store a good place to shop," said Long.

The store will be supplied primarily from the Scott City SuperValu distribution center, with some supplementary variety products coming from the St. Louis distribution center.

SuperValu is one of the nation's largest food wholesalers, providing products to 4,350 independent grocery stores in 47 states.

Mr. K's Food Center was founded more than 50 years at Pekin by Wilber Korsmeyer. Involved in the family operation are Korsmeyer's daughter, Connie, and her husband, Bill Schade; Bob Schade and his brother, Tim Schade, who recently joined the group.

Bob Schade had coached football at Texas Christian University, the University Minnesota and the University of Evansville in Indiana before joining the family business.

"We have been here since mid-April," said Schade. "We enjoy Cape Girardeau and are looking forward to opening our third store here."

Schade and many other grocery retailers, will attend a semiannual SuperValu Food Show today at the Bavarian Halle at Fruitland.

"We'll have grocery people there from Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas," said Long.