Check out the updates coming to the Key Food on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Some big changes are coming to the Key Food on Avenue A. 

A high-level Key Foods source outlined what shoppers can expect in the coming weeks as the store spruces things up, from checkout to cold cuts. 

First up: the checkout lanes. Starting in early May, Key Food will be removing one of the self-checkout lanes and bringing back a good old-fashioned staffed register. 

"Hearing the feedback from customers and management, we wanted to improve the checkout experience," the source said. "We felt that another standard lane would help reduce some of the backup we've seen at the staffed registers."

At the same time, the store is replacing two of its older self-checkout stations with new fixtures.

Then, in mid-May, the rest of the aging self-checkout terminals are getting the boot. The current 11 self-checkouts will be reduced to seven, all of which are newly installed and arranged in a single pass-through lane. The new stations won’t just look sleeker — they'll come equipped with upgraded technology designed to speed up the process and enhance security. 

In addition to the checkout upgrades, Key Food is making changes in and around the deli department. A small standalone refrigerator dedicated to sushi — an EVG customer favorite! — will be added by the end of May. 

The store will also reorganize ("reset") the deli area to better support its grab-and-go options. Cheese and prepackaged Italian cold cuts will move to the current dairy section.

"We're very excited about the updates and hope you and our customers like the changes," the source said.