Beatrice went into September with two Russ's Markets on Court Street, and B&R Stores scheduled one of them to close before the month was out. B&R said the original store at 1300 Court St. would close at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, September 29. Every associate there was offered a job at the remodeled store at 1815 Court St., the former Family Fare at 19th and Court.
Under that plan, the town has one fewer grocery store while keeping the same company and the same street, and the staff has a job waiting in a bigger building farther up Court Street. The part still unsettled is the building at 1300 Court, which B&R plans to put up for sale or lease.
How the Plan Changed Between April and September
The consolidation wasn't the original plan. In an April 7, 2026 announcement, B&R said it had agreed to buy the Family Fare location from SpartanNash, expected the sale to close April 30, and planned to keep running both Beatrice stores.
The plan changed over the summer. In order:
- April 7, 2026: B&R announces it will buy the Family Fare at 1815 Court St. from SpartanNash and run it alongside the original Russ's.
- April through summer: B&R remodels the former Family Fare and converts it to a Russ's Market.
- Thursday, September 3: B&R announces it will combine the two stores at 1815 Court St.
- Tuesday, September 29, 9 p.m.: The scheduled closing time for the 1300 Court St. store.
The reporting we found doesn't confirm that the closing went off exactly as scheduled. If you're checking on the old store, use the date B&R announced. One more thing you might run into: the Beatrice Area Chamber of Commerce's member listing for Russ's Market still showed 1300 Court St. and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours. Russ's own store page now points to 1815 Court St. If an app or directory sends you to the old address, the listing is out of date.
Same Faces, More Room
B&R's announcement spent much of its attention on the staff. Nick Kelso, B&R's executive vice president of store operations, explained the move in the company's September 3 release:
"Our associates at the original Russ's Market have built tremendous relationships with their customers, and we want those familiar faces to continue being part of Russ's Market in Beatrice."
The release says regular 1300 Court shoppers "can expect to see many of the same familiar faces" at 1815 Court. The building is the bigger change. B&R puts the 19th Street store at about twice the size of the original Beatrice location and says the extra space lets it carry a wider selection.
Per B&R, here's what changed inside:
- More product variety throughout the store
- New energy-efficient refrigerated and frozen cases
- A larger meat department
- An expanded liquor department
- New equipment in the bakery and deli
- A redesigned layout with better traffic flow
- Self-checkout
The liquor department went through a public process first. News Channel Nebraska reported on a public hearing for the new store's liquor license, after which the Beatrice City Council voted 7–1 to recommend state approval.
What the 1815 Court Street Store Lists Right Now
The official Russ's Market store page for Beatrice lists hours of 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The 9 p.m. close matches the time B&R picked for the old store's last night. The 6 a.m. open is an hour earlier than the 7 a.m. still shown on the Chamber's outdated listing.
The store page lists these departments: grocery, meat, produce, frozen foods, bakery, deli, dairy, health and beauty, wine and spirits, and tobacco. Listed services are lottery, postage, and gift cards. The page doesn't mention a pharmacy, online ordering or pickup, or fuel. That doesn't prove the store lacks them, so call the store before you plan a prescription pickup or an online order around this location.
Where Russ's Fits Among Beatrice's Other Grocery Stops
Once the consolidation is complete, Russ's will have one Beatrice store. Here are the grocery stops we could confirm from official store pages:
| Store | Address | Listed hours |
|---|---|---|
| Russ's Market | 1815 Court St. | 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily |
| Walmart Supercenter | 3620 N. 6th St. | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily |
| Dollar General | 2120 N. 6th St. | See store locator |
Two of the three are on North 6th Street, and Russ's is the one on Court. Russ's and the Walmart Supercenter both open at 6 a.m. and close two hours apart, so on late-night runs after 9 p.m. Walmart is the one still open. Dollar General's official locator lists one Beatrice store at 2120 N. 6th St. and doesn't call it a Dollar General Market. Beatrice may have other grocers, but we've only included stores we could confirm.
A New Stop on the North 6th Street Run
One addition this fall sits near the North 6th corridor. 7 Brew held its Beatrice ribbon cutting Monday, October 5, at 548 Irving St. The Gage Development Coalition hosted the event. The Beatrice location page places it at North Sixth and Irving streets, near Christenson Field.
Its listed hours are wider than either grocery store's:
- Sunday through Thursday: 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
It's a drive-thru. The menu includes coffee plus energy drinks, sodas, teas, chai, matcha, lemonades, smoothies, and shakes. Before the official opening, the stand held a "Caffeine for a Cause" weekend that set aside sales for a donation to Hope Crisis Center, News Channel Nebraska reported. Hope Crisis Center serves Gage County and six surrounding counties.
The Beatrice Bakery Name Stays, but It Isn't a Storefront
On October 5, the night of the 7 Brew opening, the City Council also heard from Ibrahim Elandaloussi and Patrick Sedarous. They co-own Newport Bakers, LLC, the new owners of Beatrice Bakery at Fifth and Market streets. According to Gage County Local's report, they plan to keep the Beatrice Bakery brand and add contract manufacturing, meaning baked goods made for other companies, along with more marketing and order-fulfillment work. The company is moving from Modesto, California.
The facility has 17 employees, and the owners plan to add marketing and fulfillment staff without giving a number or a hiring timeline. The council approved Resolution 7860, which lets up to $95,000 of Newport Bakers' existing $250,000 LB840 credit line cover closing costs on the bakery building at 201 South Fifth Street. This is a production and fulfillment operation. None of the reporting describes a new retail bakery counter.
What Happens to 1300 Court Street
After the September 29 closing, B&R plans to market the 1300 Court St. property for sale or lease. No buyer, tenant, or proposed use has been reported. The usual places to watch for the next step are city council agendas and local business news from the Beatrice Daily Sun and Gage County Local.
Russ and Anita Raybould founded B&R in 1964, and the family-owned company has grown to include supermarket banners including Russ's Market, Super Saver, Apple Market, and Cash Saver in Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri. Building sales and leases like this one often take a while. Once the scheduled closing is done, the Russ's on Court Street is the one at 19th and Court, listed as open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
If you have questions about the building at 1300 Court Street or other commercial property changes in Beatrice, Randy Ralston follows these changes and will give you a straight answer on what they mean for your block. Let's Connect.
