Hy-Vee

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning in Hy-Vee’s dairy aisle, a little girl pointed excitedly at something on the shelf and whispered, ‘Mommy, look—there’s a cow talking!’ The mother smiled, bent down, and gently said, ‘Honey, that’s just a plastic cow. It talks because someone put a toy inside.’ The girl giggled and nodded, then turned back to the shelf, whispering to her mom, ‘But Mommy, I thought only cows could talk milk!’

2. In the early hours of one morning, a delivery driver pulling into Hy-Vee's loading dock heard an eerie humming sound coming from inside the store. Curious, he peered through the window and saw rows upon rows of cans and bottles gently swaying as if dancing to some unseen music. As he watched in amazement, one can slowly detached itself from its shelf and rolled towards him, followed by another, then another. Startled, our delivery driver quickly backed out, only to hear a voice from behind say, ‘Hey, watch where you’re going—we were just having a little dance party!’ Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with a friendly neighborhood shopper who explained, ‘It’s Thursday night, after all.’

3. In the early hours of one morning, a delivery driver pulling into Hy-Vee's loading dock noticed an unusual commotion. A small dog, usually timid around strangers, barked persistently and ran towards the entrance, as if trying to warn someone inside. As the driver approached the store, he saw an elderly gentleman standing in front of the cash register, completely oblivious to everything else. The old man was absorbed in counting his change, muttering something about ‘three dollars short again.’ Turns out, the persistent little dog belonged to him, and it had been leading him on a merry chase through the entire store.

4. In the middle of the night, a delivery driver pulling into Hy-Vee's loading dock noticed an unusual sign taped to the door: ‘Only take what you need, but please leave a smile behind.’ The delivery driver chuckled and thought it was a prank until he saw a smiley face drawn on the envelope left inside. Over the next few weeks, more smiles appeared—some doodled by kids, others signed by neighbors. Soon enough, everyone in town knew about Hy-Vee’s midnight tradition. It became a lighthearted joke among locals: if you needed something extra, just leave a smile when checking out.