Bismarck’s Central Market Sold to Dan’s Supermarket; Mandan Location Closing

Central Market

More local grocery news as one store is changing hands and another shuttering.

Dan’s Supermarket is continuing on its recent local expansion boom with its upcoming purchase of Bismarck’s Central Market grocery store, located on Turnpike Avenue near Bismarck State College. Central Market’s location in downtown Mandan will be shuttering; the date unconfirmed at this time.

This expansion news comes on the heels of recent news that Dan’s Supermarket will anchor a new mixed-use development in northeast Bismarck, with that store expected to sometime in 2014. When all is said and done, Dan’s will maintain six stores in Bismarck-Mandan. Dan’s also recently sold its two Dickinson stores to SpartanNash Company.

Whether coincidental or related, the Mandan store’s closure news comes only months after the opening of a new Walmart Supercenter. Dan’s already maintains a Mandan location.

The Bismarck Central Market originally opened under Nash Finch’s Econofoods banner in 1988. Nash Finch has remained as the primary distributor for Central Market through the ownership changes, but will now likely shift to Supervalu. Both locations were purchased by Detroit Lakes-based Grand Central in 2005 from the Barlows, who had purchased the Mandan location, then called Bill’s Supervalu, in 1997 and Bismarck store in 1998. The names were changed to Miracle Mart in 2003 – the same as Barlows’ Minot operations – before changing again to Central Market.

Dan’s has had a healthy local history, with roots dating back to 1949 when Roy Rockstad & Eugene “Bus” Leary purchased the local Piggly Wiggly and converted it to Bismarck Supervalu. The first “Dan’s” branded store has anchored Arrowhead Plaza since 1953. Contrary to popular belief, Dan’s is not named for a real person; but, rather a marketing gimmick.