Check Out the New Kroger Store #592 in Franklin, TN #FranklinKrogerLaunch

DISCLAIMER: I was provided with a complimentary lunch, goodie bags and gift card, in exchange for my time and this post, however all opinions are my own and not swayed by any compensation I've received.

Warning: This post is picture heavy.

Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to take a fun tour of the new Kroger store. This massive giant, located at 1203 Murfreesboro Rd Franklin, TN 37064, is 75,000 sq ft of pure awesomeness.

If/when there is ever a zombie apocalypse, this is where I wanna be holed up. This place is like it's own little self sufficient island, if islands were landlocked, that is.

Photo Credit: Craig Flagg Tennessean.com

O.K., maybe it's more like an isthmus or peninsula, whatever this place is amazing. I almost didn't even wanna leave, except I feared for the sanity of my dear, sweet Mother, who was watching "my little angel", Micah, that afternoon, so I went home, but not before eating a crap ton of free sushi and cheese and taking a ton of pictures.

Is it really possible to be this excited about a grocery store?! Yes, it is fully possible, when your grocery store offers stuff like a Murray's cheese shop, with more cheese than my 3 year old could eat in a week.

They offer free tastings of any cheese you want and they will even suggest pairings, if you are like me and don't know the difference between a Havarti and a Muenster.

One of the most exciting things, for me, (besides the sushi) is the locally grown produce. The morning I was there, the tomatoes had just been delivered, a couple of hours earlier, from a local farm here in TN. Now that is something I can really appreciate! 

As you look around the store, you can tell this is not your Mama's Kroger. This place has all kinds of fanch schmancy new stuff, like a bread slicing machine that slices your freshly baked bread for you. I can see this handy dandy contraption saving more than one or two phalanges. (Yes, I'm talkin to you, Susan P. xoxo)

They even have a fresh squeezed OJ machine too. You can either buy it by the half gallon or you can just snag a free sample as you walk by.

Can we talk turkey for a minute... or how about seafood. Kroger has an awesome service for us frazzled Moms. "Easy for You" is a FREE service offered by the seafood dpt. that gives you a "free pass" on dinner. All you do is pick the kind of fish you want and the nice guys behind the counter do the rest, seasonings, bake-in-bag and all. Take it home, pop it in the oven, throw a few veggies with it... viola, you have dinner!

This store also has a huuuuge all natural foods section,which contains over 2 thousand products (including the Simple Truth brand), each being certified free from 101 preservatives, additives and other junk. This is also were you will find over 40 varieties of bulk dried fruits, nuts and trail mix and did I mention you can grind your own nut butters?! The almond was my fave, they have no added sugars or preservatives, just fresh ground nuts. (You can sample this too)

Right around the corner from the natural foods, you will find The Kitchen Place, which is full of all the essentials... pots, pans, dishes, silverware and even goodies like juicers, panini presses and toaster ovens.

I love these colorful plates!

The flower department is amazing! They have over 250 different varieties of flowers, some I had never seen before and for those of us who are flower challenged, they have a professional florist on staff and she is available to make any kind of arrangement your heart desires.

Now to my very favorite part of the entire day... the sushi. First, I must preface this with the fact that I am a huuuge sushi freak. I love it, everything about it, the fresh taste, the yummy eel sauce, all of it, I just love sushi and this sushi will definitely hold its own with any of the sushi bars in town and trust me, I've been to most of them.

The broiled salmon and shrimp was out of this world.

AK and the other sushi chefs really know their stuff! (yes, I am on a first name basis with the sushi chef) Maybe they were just showing off the day I was there, but OMG... broiled salmon with yum yum sauce... I even stopped back by the sushi counter, before I left and purchased more yumminess, in addition to the free stuff we got for lunch...Yes, I might have a problem.

... and what's a zombie hideout without a place to get medical help, you know, just in case.

The Little Clinic is your one stop shop for all those pesky ailments that don't quite warrant a trip to the ER.  You can get sports/camp/D.O.T. physicals, common trip related immunizations, treatment for allergies, colds and minor stuff like earaches and rashes.

The Little Clinic is conveniently open 7 days a week and each time you visit The Little Clinic, you will earn 50 fuel points and if you need a prescription, you can get it filled in 15 minutes, at the pharmacy, which is literally ten steps away.

I had an amazing time at this event, met lots of great #NashvilleBloggers and I learned a lot about Kroger I never knew before and a little birdie even told me, my neighborhood Kroger, in Bellevue on Hwy 70 was possibly next in line for an overhaul, like this.

So, now I ask you, is it really possible to get excited about a new grocery store... My answer is Yes!