The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. has taken the wraps off a brand-new look for its stores, beginning with 21 locations in the Hartford, Conn., area. The overhaul comes after parent company Ahold Delhaize USA this past summer promised a “fresh new format” for the venerable northeastern regional banner.

The company invested $70 million to improve Stop & Shop’s in-store experience, with a focus on providing more fresh, fast, local and healthy selections. Hartford will serve as a test market for the grocery store chain to pilot such innovative features as an in-store smoker; more space dedicated to fresh produce, and more locally grown and produced items; DIY machines enabling customers to create their own olive oil and vinegar blends; a kombucha fountain; an informational craft beer kiosk; poké bowl and taqueria stations; in-store cafés with reclaimed-wood “community tables” enabling family-style dining, and digital community boards; curbside pickup of grocery orders assembled via automation, thanks to a partnership with Takeoff Technologies; and frictionless checkout using the SCAN IT! Mobile app, with no waiting in line required.

The pilot will be used to decide what updates to roll out across Stop & Shop’s 400-plus stores over the next several years. The new format also includes lower prices on thousands of items that customers buy most frequently, while also carrying a bigger assortment of affordable store-brand items, including products from Nature’s Promise.