Located in the heart of Madison’s isthmus, Willy Street Mini Mart serves a steady stream of neighborhood residents, commuters, and visitors. Built beneath a new apartment development, the store’s footprint demanded careful planning from the very beginning. With limited space available, every square foot had to contribute to the customer experience and the store’s day-to-day operations.
One of the biggest priorities was creating a beer cave that would become a destination within the store. Designed to showcase a broad selection of cold beverages while encouraging customers to browse, the beer cave serves as a focal point of the retail space and an important driver of beverage sales.
Leer designed a custom walk-in cooler measuring 23′ 1″ × 8′ 8½” × 8′ 2″, maximizing the available footprint without compromising customer flow. The cooler features two separate runs of glass reach-in doors—one with three doors and another with two—along with a centrally located glass service door that invites customers directly into the beer cave. This layout provides convenient grab-and-go access while creating an engaging walk-in shopping experience.
Constructed with 4.25-inch Soft Rail panels, the cooler features a sleek 26-gauge black stucco-embossed exterior that complements the store’s modern interior, while the inside utilizes durable 26-gauge stucco-embossed galvanized steel for long-lasting performance. A floorless design with a vinyl screed completes the installation, delivering a clean appearance and efficient access for daily operations.
Projects like this demonstrate how thoughtful refrigeration design can transform a compact footprint into a standout retail feature. Whether space is limited by an urban location, mixed-use development, or an existing building, Leer works with customers to create custom beer caves and walk-ins that maximize every inch while enhancing both merchandising and the shopping experience.
