King Soopers — Restaurant in Denver

This is worse than every Kroger store I have ever been to. The security exists solely to leer at you or stand 5 inches away from you as you check out. They won't deal with whoever is destroying the aisles. Also, let's think for a moment about how they'll deal with problems and what they are supposed to be dealing with. These dudes are massively overmilitarized for the area. I understand the reasoning behind the security. I was Instacarting in Boulder on that tragic day and my friends and I would frequently go shop at that store. I realize the gravity of the situation. Boulder's stores all got armed security right away and while controversial, it was well executed. Their guards were helpful, kind, and equipped far more effectively. Has anyone considered what would happen if one of these guys actually needed to use the CS spray on their belts? In a store with people of all ages and health statuses? The security in Boulder didn't have a bunch of nonsense tools to maim and detain people, because they're not the police. They did have firearms, as they'd need to stop a terrorist. That was their job and that is why it was well executed. I have seen this store's security team harass all kinds of people who they then let go meaning there was no reason to bother them in the first place. If there weren't 7 of them all standing in the same spot they wouldn't have to fish so hard to look busy. Fortunately, the only contact I've had with them firsthand is when they leer while I walk by. The armed security is for life or death events. This city has plenty of police and they're on the better end of the police force spectrum. Loss prevention should be done with technology, not academy flunkees with batman gadgets. (Seriously what are they going to do with those billy clubs besides catch you a lawsuit?)

The produce and meat department freezers are disgustingly out of date and frequently. The bakery items aren't out of date, but they are sometimes produced poorly. It's 50/50 the thing in the box matches the label on the outside, (I hope nobody is buying GF here. If they don't know the difference between chocolate and pumpkin, that doesn't bode well for allergen contamination prevention.)

The self checkout machines are obviously set to maximum protection which means they'll give you trouble for no good reason. You just have to wait for the teenagers who man that area to get off their phones and do their job so you can pay and leave. It's like they've turned it into almost-self-checkout. You get 99% done and then you get to wait 15 minutes for a kid with two airpods in to realize you've been saying excuse me the whole time.

There's a curly haired fellow who runs the show sometimes. That person rocks, and by no means is this review related to that individual who I see working harder than just about everybody else.

The deli team is great and there are a few gem employees here and there. So there's that to consider. This store is sinking though.

For the record I understand some of the hassle. The crash gates mean people have been running out with carts full of expensive stuff, (booze). Stores with working wheel lock systems have issues with that and cart theft. I get it, the area is rough during certain parts of the day, but there's a glaring reason for that. Has anyone looked at the gutters in the streets around the store? The trashcans outside? The ones by the bus stops? Anyone? Maybe if you ditched the liquor license you'd have less trouble from the bus stops and panhandlers. There are like 18 rehab centers or group homes in this neighborhood. Did anyone Google that before you decided to just slap a liquor pantry right next to one of the exits? There are several ways to fix this store. King Soopers was always where we'd go, but that has changed.

I have worked every job in a King Soopers store other than the Starbucks, (no remarks there. Oddly standard service for a store that otherwise sucks as bad as a King Soopers can suck.) I have also been to about 50 King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado. This is...

Dear Store #29:

November 29th, at around 3:45 p.m., there was an incident involving one of your security guards with the last name, "Cole" and me (my child was also in tow). Because I regularly witness aggression that comes from a few of your hired security personnel, I tend to (if I can) choose a U-scan next to one of the security guards and or the store staff because the last thing that I want is to be accused of something I certainly wouldn't do, I.e. shoplift/steal. It prevents me from having to have a verbal stand-off with one of your personnel like I witness from others all of the time. I'm also one to voluntarily show my receipt as I leave because I know the drill. So, my child and I utilized one of the U-scans. We had two transactions. The first one, I scanned 7 items, paid for them, bagged them up, and set the bag down on the ground. Because our cart was in the way of the U-Scan sensor, it alarmed the system to get help from a clerk. Clerk came over, viewed the video to make sure there was no funny business happening and cleared it. I thanked her but before I could start ringing up our second transaction still debit card and receipt in hand, I could see Mr. Cole in my peripheral vision. I turned around to address him. Without provocation, he loudly stated, "I've seen you! You steal. You steal all the time.". I was taken back. I started chuckling thinking he was being facetious and making a joke because he and I had said hello and goodbye to one another on numerous occasions. I am in that store 4 days out of the week. He has witnessed me talking to many of the employees that I know personally, including my sister. I have been going there for 28 years, I live a block away. Anyhow, once he started to get fired up, I realized he was not joking. I promptly asked for a manager because I was so shocked. Mr. Cole continued to loudly state that I steal, so naturally I am going to defend myself, and yes, I used some choice words and made a scene because how dare anyone come up to my child and me on a good day and accuse me of doing something I've never done in my 46 years of life. The manager (Brian) came over, but he wasn't helpful, he just denied the situation, looked into outerspace and walked away. I decided to confront Mr. Cole to take a picture, get his name and when I did I expressed the fact that he indeed had seen me before, on many occasions but especially the one time over the summer when my boyfriend's car was hit in the parking lot by someone in a stolen car. When we called the cops, he and another security personnel came outside to assist us (he was even kind of nice). When being confronted with this tidbit, Mr. Cole looked at me with wide eyes and casually laughed and said, "Oh, that's where I know you from.". When I asked for an apology, he didn't give me one. He just said, "I see a lot of people. I guess I mixed you up with someone else. My bad.". MY BAD? Wow. He accused me of stealing because he "sees a lot of people" and he "mixed me up with someone else", and of course he has no proof of me stealing because I never have and I know the cameras know that's the truth but he's going to loudly accuse me in front of everyone because my cart set off the U-Scan sensor even though, that video was reviewed and I was cleared so I could continue with my 2nd transaction. I visit KS and the surrounding businesses regularly. First of all, I would never bite the hand that feeds me if you know what I mean and second of all, if I steal all of the time like Mr. Cole so boldly exclaimed, then why would you not call the police and trespass me? I've already contacted American Guard Services about this incident. These guys are aggressive, they discriminate, and they are causing problems for Kroger as a company in general. When some of your personnel have the mindset that everyone is guilty until proven innocent, it creates an ethical issue that will most likely lead to legal repercussions. I've never been reduced to tears due to humiliation in public before. One star because I...

I completely DISAGREE with Wiffle Baxter's review. I don't think there is any way this King Soopers could avoid getting exposed to COVID because of its location it not only has high end residences in the neighborhood but it also has homeless people so exactly how do you prevent Covid exposure in such an environment? I think they went out of their way to keep every and all surfaces clean as they could/can. I think all of the employees that I saw practiced extreme safety measures and I think that Whiffle Baxter is not being fair. I intend to continue to go to this King Soopers despite the fact that lots of people are in and out of this location. Because I believe they are really doing their best and I don't think that you can avoid exposure to COVID considering the fact that it's an airborne virus. This is a high use grocer. Lots of traffic and it was one of the only places that actually took cash at the height of the COVID scare not everybody has a credit card. I'm lucky enough to have one but what if you're a homeless person? And you need to buy food ?and you don't have a credit card? Not like Whole Foods has yer back with a credit card "only" policy.While Whipple Baxter is ruminating about how dangerous this place is I don't think that the exposure is more than what you would get in any natural environment with as many folks in and out of this place or any other...for example the bus...other grocers who had better luck are also situated neighborhoods that have high income and no homeless Wiggle doesn't bring that up in their evaluation. You're not going to be able to screen everybody going in and out...even if there are cops and employees you still have people aren't always gonna be honest about the situation and considering those aspects I think this King Soopers has gone above and beyond board. I am going there tonight as a matter of fact and I will continue to go there and am grateful that they still take cash I say hats off to the employees of this King Soopers and to the management for trying so hard to do their very best to back employees who got sick. The fact is that there was no way to avoid the situation and considering how difficult the situation is/was and what they were a.d are up against I think this King Soopers has shined. Outside of that I love the food that I get there. I love the prices I often walk 2 extra miles out of my way because I don't own a car to go to this particular King Soopers (4miles away) When there is a closer one in my neighborhood 2 miles closer. Would you walk an extra two miles and be willing to walk back? I do. Does that answer your question about my loyalty to this King Soopers? Folks are snobs. They don't see the WHOLE picture and are limited strictly by what they want and how they want things to be but often can't get past how they think things look regardless of actual reality. And the fact that their view only represents one view unless they choose to see a larger picture doesn't matter to them. Unless you, Wiffle Baxter, expect this King Soopers to stop serving homeless and economically challenged folks then you can expect and KNOW things will be hard pressed FOR EVERYONE! they are trying to do their best. I'm a very picky person but KS's employees and efforts have been top notch. There you have it! Thanks King Soopers for keeping up light on, keeping food coming in and for having such a positive attitude despite the fact that there were so...