Foodland Super Market today presents the first of what it calls a new store prototype featuring items ranging from a $6.99 pork guisantes plate lunch to a $1,299 bottle of Louis XIII cognac.

The new supermarket was scheduled to open at 8 a.m. at Ala Moana Center where Foodland closed its store 14 weeks ago for a multimillion-dollar remodeling project that added several unique elements to the local grocery chain.

"We wanted to think about what is the next generation of Foodland," said Jenai S. Wall, Foodland's chairwoman and chief executive officer.

Foodland's new prototype opens amid a grocery retailing industry undergoing much dramatic change in Hawai'i.

Perhaps the biggest industry impact will be from national chain Whole Foods Market, which early next year plans to open the first of four stores concentrating on natural and organic foods.

Safeway is building a new store in Kapahulu along with space for other businesses, and has been upscaling existing stores. Smaller kama'aina grocery chains also have been making changes, with Times Supermarkets expanding its Fujioka's Wine Times stores, and Star Markets renovating stores after closing two locations recently.

Foodland came up with several elements that are new for the 29-store company and will be replicated at other locations starting next with the Market City Foodland in Kapahulu.

Among new offerings rolled out at its Ala Moana store are counters selling made-to-order salads and sandwiches. Cooked-to-order personal pizzas are also a new item for the company.

Additions that exist at some other Foodland stores include Beard Papa's cream-puff and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf operations; a sushi bar; and an expanded deli with prepared entrees such as ahi cakes, portuguese sausage meat loaf, grilled seafood skewers and chicken tamales.

"You can get your whole meal and get home," said Keoni Chang, corporate chef at Foodland. "It's all about grab and go. It's ready to eat."

Wall said the Ala Moana Foodland, because of its location in the state's largest shopping center, drew an exceptionally high volume of customers who typically bought relatively few items. That tended to create congestion in the store.

So in the store's redesign, take-out food operations were placed toward the front of the store close to one multiregister check-out station near the entrance.

A main group of check-out stations are positioned further inside the store to handle more traditional purchases.

Chang said other parts of the prototype include a meat and seafood department with fresh whole reef fish, fish and meat seasoned for cooking, and cuts of meat without antibiotics, extra hormones or preservatives.

A vastly expanded natural and organic foods department includes items from organic gogi berries and greek yogurt sweetened with honey to chlorine-free diapers.

A new department was created for fine foods featuring a best-of selection from Foodland's R. Field brand found at its Beretania and Kailua stores. The department also includes wines arranged by taste characteristics instead of by growing region or grape variety.

Foodland, established in 1948, has done business at Ala Moana since 1959, and has operated the 18,500-square-foot store in its current location since 1985.

Store hours are from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Reach Andrew Gomes at agomes@honoluluadvertiser.com.