Balls opens no-frills Payless Discount Foods grocery in Olathe

Balls Food Stores in Kansas City, Kan., has launched a new grocery store concept in Olathe.

Payless Discount Foods is now open in the former Balls Price Chopper at 2101 E. Santa Fe St., at Mur-Len Road.

With a “No Games. No Gimmicks” tagline, Payless takes a page from Price Chopper’s roots as a “no-frills” operation. Customers sack their own groceries and, to keep prices low, the store will not take credit cards.

Items include dairy, fresh meat and produce, canned and boxed goods, frozen foods, pet food, diapers, and cleaning supplies. Some items are still in their original packing boxes.

There’s a “Wall of Value” offering special discounts, such as Best Choice sweet peas for 39 cents (regularly 69 cents), and a 7.25-ounce box of Kraft macaroni and cheese for 49-cents (regularly 99-cents), that is scheduled to change weekly. A couple of signs touted more favorable Payless Discount Food prices than Wal-Mart. Throughout the store are “Manager’s Specials” such as a 47-cent box of Jiffy corn muffins.

David Gryszowka, vice president of store development for Balls Food Stores, said Payless had so many customers over the weekend that at times every shopping cart was in use.

“People are always looking to save a little money where they can,” Gryszowka said.

The Price Chopper pharmacy will continue to operate in the location. The store will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Balls recently closed its Price Chopper at 151st Street and Mur-Len Road. It had previously been a Dillons grocery store.Now Balls will sub-lease the building to a non-grocery store tenant. There also is a Price Chopper at 159th Street and Mur-Len.

Balls is in final negotiations to remodel and expand its Leawood Hen House at 11721 Roe Ave. in Camelot Court. If all goes as planned, Balls would start remodeling the 54,000-square-foot store in spring 2015 and expand it by about 20,000 square feet. It would remain open during the process, which would take about 10 months.

Balls also hopes to open a 66,000-square-foot Lee’s Summit Price Chopper in July 2015 at S.E. Blue Parkway and U.S. 50.

This story was originally published September 8, 2014 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Balls opens no-frills Payless Discount Foods grocery in Olathe."