Checkers Foods
Checkers Foods is a single-location, family-owned grocery store in Lawrence, Kansas, founded in 1987 and serving the local community with fresh produce, packaged goods, and household items via in-store retail, a digital coupon platform, and a basic e-commerce storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersLawrence, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Checkers Foods does
Checkers Foods is a single-location, family-owned grocery retailer operating from 2300 Louisiana Street in Lawrence, Kansas. Founded in 1987 when Jim Lewis purchased Rusty's IGA and rebranded to Checkers Foods in 2019, the business employs approximately 120 people and serves as the only locally owned and operated family grocery store in the Lawrence community. The store offers a traditional full-service grocery assortment spanning fresh produce, packaged goods, dairy, household items, personal care, baby products, and pet supplies, with weekly promotional ads and a digital coupon platform supporting price-driven customer engagement.
The business model is straightforward brick-and-mortar grocery retail: revenue is generated through in-store product sales at standard retail markups over wholesale cost, supplemented by promotional pricing and digital coupons typically ranging from $0.25 to $5.00 per item. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, relying on physical storefront presence, weekly flyers, digital coupons, a recipe content section, and a mobile app to drive repeat visits. The customer base is exclusively the Lawrence, Kansas residential community, with no B2B, wholesale, or off-geography revenue streams disclosed. The company offers an e-commerce option via shop.checkersfoods.com for online ordering with pickup or delivery, though the vast majority of revenue is generated from in-store transactions.
There is no disclosed revenue, funding history, M&A activity, partnership pipeline, or external investment. The company is privately held by Jim Lewis with no venture capital, private equity, or parent company involvement. Technology deployment is limited to standard retail operations, a digital coupon platform, a basic e-commerce storefront, and a mobile app — there is no disclosed proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, no patents, and no certifications. The competitive position rests on local community loyalty, personal customer relationships cultivated by ownership, and a 37-year operating history, rather than on technology differentiation or scale economies.
Checkers Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Checkers Foods
- Legal name
- Checkers Foods
- Website
- https://checkersfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Checkers Foods is a single-location, family-owned grocery store in Lawrence, Kansas, founded in 1987 and serving the local community with fresh produce, packaged goods, and household items via in-store retail, a digital coupon platform, and a basic e-commerce storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Checkers Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lawrence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Checkers Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- In-store retail sales: Traditional grocery retail revenue through sale of food and consumer goods at physical storefront locations. Revenue generated from product markups over wholesale costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail grocery pricing with promotional weekly specials and digital coupon discounts ranging from $0.25 to $10.00 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Checkers Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Checkers Foods is a single-location, family-owned grocery store in Lawrence, Kansas, selling fresh produce (farm-to-table), packaged foods, dairy, household items, personal care, baby, and pet products at retail. The retail operation is supported by digital coupons, weekly promotional ads, an online shopping platform (shop.checkersfoods.com), a mobile app, and a recipe collection for meal ideas.
Product overview
Checkers Foods is a single-location, family-owned grocery retail business operating as a traditional brick-and-mortar store. The offering consists of a core in-store grocery retail operation supplemented by digital services including Weekly Ads and Promotions, Digital Coupons platform, Online Shopping via Shop Now, Recipe Collection, and Store Locator. The company differentiates itself as Lawrence's only local, home-owned family grocery store established in 1987, emphasizing quality, community, and freshness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- In-Store Grocery Retail
Companies that use Checkers Foods
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Checkers Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Checkers Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Checkers Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Whole Foods Market: Premium natural and organic grocery banner owned by Amazon. Comparable as a quality- and freshness-led grocery targeting community- and values-oriented shoppers, though operating as part of a much larger portfolio.
- Hy-Vee: Major employee-owned regional grocery chain with stores across the Midwest, including the Lawrence, KS trade area. Comparable as a direct competitor to Checkers Foods in the same grocery category, though at vastly greater scale and assortment breadth.
- Trader Joe's: National specialty grocer with curated assortment and strong private-label identity. Comparable in targeting customers seeking differentiated, quality-focused grocery offerings, though operating at vastly greater scale.
- Dillons (Kroger banner): Kroger-owned supermarket banner operating in Kansas, including locations serving the Lawrence market. Comparable as a competing full-line grocery offering traditional categories like fresh produce, packaged goods, and digital coupons.
- ALDI: Hard-discount grocery chain with stores across Kansas and the broader Midwest. Comparable as a competing grocery option in Lawrence's broader food retail market, focused on low-price value positioning.
Others
- IGA: Independent grocery alliance that supplied and branded Checkers Foods under its prior name 'Rusty's IGA.' Comparable as the historical operating platform and supply ecosystem for an independent, locally owned grocery store.
Direct peers
- Sprouts Farmers Market: Specialty grocery chain focused on fresh produce, natural foods, and a curated assortment with a community-store feel. Comparable in positioning around fresh, quality-led grocery retail at a smaller-than-supermarket format.
- Hen House Market: Locally operated grocery chain in the Kansas City metro serving a similar community-focused customer base. Comparable as a smaller, locally branded grocery competing in similar suburban/secondary-market trade areas.
- Natural Grocers: Specialty natural and organic grocery chain emphasizing community connection, education, and curated assortment. Comparable positioning to Checkers' emphasis on quality, freshness, and personal customer relationships.
Regional players
- Price Chopper (Ball's Foods): Family-operated regional grocery chain based in the Kansas City area with stores throughout Kansas and Missouri. Comparable as an independent, family-run regional competitor in similar Midwestern markets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Checkers Foods social profiles
Digital presenceCheckers Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Checkers Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Checkers Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Checkers Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Checkers Foods
What does Checkers Foods do?
Checkers Foods is a single-location, family-owned grocery store in Lawrence, Kansas, selling fresh produce (farm-to-table), packaged foods, dairy, household items, personal care, baby, and pet products at retail. The retail operation is supported by digital coupons, weekly promotional ads, an online shopping platform (shop.checkersfoods.com), a mobile app, and a recipe collection for meal ideas.
Is Checkers Foods a public or private company?
Checkers Foods is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Checkers Foods founded?
Checkers Foods was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Checkers Foods based?
Checkers Foods is headquartered in Lawrence, United States, in the North America region.
How does Checkers Foods make money?
One revenue line is on record: in-store retail sales.
Who are Checkers Foods's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Whole Foods Market, Hy-Vee, Trader Joe's, Dillons (Kroger banner) and ALDI. IGA is listed as an others. Direct peers are Sprouts Farmers Market, Hen House Market and Natural Grocers. Price Chopper (Ball's Foods) is listed as a regional player.
Does Checkers Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Checkers Foods.