10 Surprising Facts About Minnesota-Based Cub Foods

Minnesotans are buying groceries every single day. And in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, we've got quite the variety of stores to take our shopping list to. Right now, there are about 1,786 supermarkets or grocery stores in our state that would love to show you their best produce.

One of the top spots for filling up our carts, Cub, has been in the news quite a bit lately. I'll fill you in below if you haven't heard. As I was doing research about this popular grocery store, I learned a few shocking facts that I'm guessing most of us don't know. See that list below!

READ MORE: Another Cub Foods Is Now Closing For Good in Minnesota

The Latest News About Cub Foods - Stores Closing and New President Now Hired

Cub (aka Cub Foods - they technically dropped the 'Foods" part in 2018) has had some negative press lately due to a few stores shuttering for good...or so it seems:

• Cub in Baxter, located at 14133 Edgewood Dr. N, will be permanently closing in September.
• Cub in Brainerd will remain open after the sale to Miner's Inc. It will be rebranded to Super One Foods.
• Cub at 1104 Lagoon Ave. in Minneapolis Uptown closed for "needed repairs and other proactive measures".

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Besides the latest closings, a new President and Chief Executive Officer of Retail has now been appointed for United Natural Foods Inc., which is the parent company of Cub Foods.  Andre Persaud was in this position for less than two years and according to Grocery Dive, vacated that spot in July 2025. Based on news from BusinessWire.com, the new guy at the top is David Best, and he will start in this new role on August 17th.

10 Surprising Facts About Minnesota-Based Cub Foods

As I was digging deep into this company, I found out a few facts about this grocery store leader in Minnesota. Check them out below and see how many you know:

1)  CUB stands for “Consumers United for Buying”
Initially, this store had the idea to bring lower prices for its shoppers. To make that happen, they used cooperative buying power.

2) Cub was one of the first discount grocery chains where you could buy in bulk in the U.S.
The original look and style of Cub was a low-price, warehouse-style grocery store. It was also one of the first spots where you could buy gallon jugs of mayo, giant blocks of cheese, or even 10-pound bags of meat.

3) First Store Was in Stillwater, Minnesota
The very first Cub store opened in Stillwater in 1968, and it quickly expanded due to its success.

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4) Do You Remember The Grease Pencils?
We are spoiled today with scanners and barcodes. In the early Cub days, employees would use grease pencils to write prices on items, especially in the meat and produce areas.

5) 1980 - Big Year and Big Change for Cub
SuperValu, a grocery giant, purchased Cub in 1980. The goal was to boost its retail presence. As a result of this purchase, Cub expanded even more throughout the Midwest.

6) Cub Is More Than A Grocery Store - It Also Has An In-House Chef and Test Kitchen
Like many grocery stores today, ready-to-eat meals for consumers to pick up and take home have become popular. Cub develops these as well along with signature deli recipes and bakery items.

7) Some Cub Locations Are Open 24 Hours
Not everyone works a normal 8 am - 5 pm job. Thankfully, Cub has realized that and have 24/7 access to a few of their store locations.

8) Cub Has Its Own Liquor Stores
If you see a Cub, look next to it. You might see another store with the name 'Cub Wine & Spirits' or 'Cub Liquor'.

9) 2018 - Cub Was Nearly Sold Off Completely
While we didn't officially see a "For Sale" sign up at stores, Cub was put up for sale after SuperValu was bought by UNFI in 2018. Today, the Cub brand is still part of this company's portfolio.

10) You Used To Have To Bag Your Own Groceries at Cub!
Bare-bones...that is how Cub ran in its early days. Baggers were not an option at this grocery store and shoppers knew that they had to bag their own at the end of the conveyor belt. This isn't common practice at all locations today, but I know I have experienced this recently.