Cash Wise Foods Grocery Store — Local services in Owatonna

The prices here are higher than they should be. I mean... hy vee has higher prices, but they're much higher end. They have a much bigger selection. Cash Wise is working in the same small building they've always been in and pretending to compete. They can't.

The produce section is lacking- there's quite a few fruits and veggies you can't even find. The only upside is that when the produce sprayers come on- there's a little thundering noise which is cute. But if you're looking for broccolini or something you've seen on the food network- it's not here. Why does no one in this town carry romanesco??!? The spice section is limited, you won't find anything interesting there either. The meat counter is awful. The meat guys know nothing- they can't answer a single question you ask about the cuts of meat, and they usually just try to point you toward the pre- packaged section to find something for yourself. Sorry, I'll head to Fareway for something decent and real answers. I've seen mold on the shredded pre packaged cheese here moe than once. Gross. The freezer section is sad- they don't have all the green giant cauliflower rice choices like hy vee has, they don't have many options- but like I said, they don't have the space. They're wasting an entire aisle in the front of the store on greeting cards and junk that could be used for a bigger selection of frozen items. The deli is just ok- it has the typical sour oily salads they all have. The one redeeming quality they have is that they do offer jennie o meats, and the sliced honey turkey is fabulous. The bakery is small with little to offer. Everything is pre made and seems a little older than it says it is. I really only go to cash wise when I have to- otherwise, if I want low prices I head to wal mart or aldi- for meats I go to Fareway, and if I want better selection I...

I personally enjoyed my dinner and a movie moment with Will with a goatee in the Deli department. Exceptional employee. Gonna fight for that bottom line. I approach the the deli counter and ask for a small cup to put some hot water into, so I can warm a bottle for my 8 day old infant. The employee tries to hand me a large cup, I point out I really just need the small one, they insist it's fine. As I'm filling the cup with hot water, Will, who was on break, eating in one of the benches, gets up and tells the employee she needs to charge me 45 cents for the cup. So she does, to which I request the smaller cup in hopes of paying less for my bottle warmer (35 cents). They charge it as a "catering fee"

I sit at the closest table to water/sink which was dirty enough it warranted me laying down my diaper changing mat, so my child didn't touch the table.

Little did I know that Will was about to be conducting an interview directly across from me. It took everything in my power to not laugh when Will asked the question "What do you think you can do to provide exceptional customer service?"

This store used to offer free coffee at the front door as a courtesy. Now they can't even offer a free cup of hot water for a baby.

And you can't tell me it's about inventory, cause it was a generic 'Catering' charge. It was simply a "no free handouts" mentality. Times must be tough at Cashwise.

Dale, Lyle, and Diane still bump this place up by one star all by himself though. Dale, Lyle, and Diane are exceptional and have done great for this store...

Had to change my rating to 3 stars after my most recent visit today. Just went for a 24 pack/case of Mountain Dew, which I discovered was on sale currently for $10.99. However, the shelf was empty and no secondary location for it could be found. I asked an employee if they had more, and after looking in the back for a bit was told he could not find any. He then said a new shipment would be coming the next day or Saturday. I told him I don't drive and I might not have transportation to come back again for it. I asked if they would honor the price if I got two 12 packs (same quantity), because otherwise I was going to get it somewhere else. Regardless of my situation, he said that it was not possible to honor that price as 12 packs were also on sale two for $13. Why would you have essentially the same product on sale at the same time for difference prices? Of course they were out of 24 packs, because who would waste two more dollars to get to 12 packs?! Still, I was told they could not honor that $10.99 price, and I would have to come back tomorrow because they're supposed to be getting a shipment...I instead asked my transportation to take me to another grocery store just up the road, since they basically told me I had to pay more money or get nothing, since coming back might not be an option. *I found it for nearly $2 cheaper still at a nearby grocery store, saving me almost $4 from the $13 price! On just One item!... definitely lost a sale today, and I will likely influence if I make...