Target & Freshii Team Up for In Store Cafe Test:Sloop Target First Location To Be Built & Opening Oct 12

Pic of Freshii in South Loop Target

Looks like we're getting a Freshii...but maybe not in the location you would expect (via Crains - behind paywall):

Fresh food will be on offer in nine Target store cafes around the country, and the change is starting in Chicago.

The Minneapolis-based retail giant is testing a new cafe concept in 14 stores nationwide. In nine of those stores, the cafes that offer ballpark food such as nachos, hot dogs and slushies will be replaced with health-food chain Freshii. Eight of those nine Freshii locations are set to open in Chicago-area Targets starting next month.

Forty percent of Target customers use the cafes, which are the first thing they see after walking into the store, a Target spokeswoman said in an email. The company hopes to reshape its customers' first impression and push healthier options.

The first two Target Freshii locations—in South Loop and Arlington Heights stores—are set to open Oct. 12

While we probably would have prefered to see a standalone Freshii in the neighborhood, the fact that we're getting one is still pretty good.

If you're not familiar with Freshii, here is some background from Wikipedia:

Freshii was founded by Matthew Corrin in Toronto, in 2005.  Originally called "Lettuce Eatery", the store opened to large queues and ran out of food on the first day before the end of lunch. Corrin's vision of fast, fresh food, custom-built, inspired Freshii's reputation for healthy, environmentally sustainable meals and snacks served quickly in a cool, clean setting for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

We imagine it will probably do pretty good in the Sloop even if it's in a Target.

Bigger question - does this count for the business counter?  Let us know if you think it should.