Kroger -- 4404 Brambleton Ave

Kroger supermarkets are ubiquitous in the Roanoke area. Not all stores are the same, and it stands to reason that their rest rooms are not the same, either. I will get around to all the different Kroger locations, but I'll start with the one at 4404 Brambleton Ave, near where it intersects with Colonial.

This is not my regular Kroger, but we stopped in to check out their excellent beer selection. My daughter had to use the rest room, so I combined our pit stop with some recon. 

First off, it's not easy finding the rest room right away. Oh, there is a sign, but the store is so big, it's hard to see at first. If it had been a peemergency, I would have asked just to save time. When you go inside, go to the left and look for the big sign that says "Fine Wine". Go to the far wall by the beer, then go to the left, down to what looks like the storage area. Pass the elevator and the rest rooms are on the right. Like I said, if it's urgent, you better ask if you aren't familiar with this store.

The women's room was clean, well-lit, and didn't stink. They provide seat covers, extra TP, a changing station and a personal product vending machine. There are speakers in the rest room, so my daughter got to tinkle to Christina Aguilera and a Kroger commercial. Other than that, there was no "ambiance" to speak of, but that is not a priority. 

Problems: 

• I counted 3 Renuzits in there. Granted, it didn't stink, but the chemically enhanced air was a little overpowering. I don't have asthma, but someone who does might be concerned. But again, no stink.  
• There are absolutely zero paper towels. Instead, there is a futuristic Dyson Airblade hand dryer, like this:

Cool, right? Yeah, kinda. It does dry your hands in 12 seconds, but there is nothing to use to open the door. During cold and flu season, you might want a squirt of hand sanitizer after you exit.

• Safety. There were no problems when we were there, but I would have been concerned if it had been later at night or if there hadn't been as many customers in the beer/wine area. Those rest rooms are pretty isolated from the rest of the store.

Sorry, Kroger. I appreciate that you have a rest room for your customers, but you could do better.