February 7, 2007
The Great Grocery Store Chase
D.C.'s lack of choice when it comes to gourmet grocery stores may be coming to an end, although not everything is panning out as planned.
A long hoped-for Whole Foods Market on 14th Street in Columbia Heights seems all but dead. “We have no immediate plans for that location,” Sarah Kenney, Whole Foods Market, director of marketing for the mid-Atlantic Region tells DCist.
Over a year ago, Whole Foods signed a Letter Of Intent (LOI) on the space at 3200 14th Street, NW. A LOI is real estate speak for documenting a firm’s interest in the property. Kenney compares it to “asking someone out for a date.” However, some folks have taken it so seriously, you would think it was a marriage license, she says.
In spite of valiant neighborhood lobbying, some bloggers have speculated that lack of dedicated parking in the area is to blame for Whole Foods’ dis. Kenney says the chain must consider competition from other grocery retailers in the area, like the new Giant at Tivoli Square nearby, and the resident complaint factor when delivery trucks pull in at 5 a.m.
Not coincidentally, there is a very successful Whole Foods not too far away at 14th and P in Logan Circle, with which many of us have a love/hate relationship. Love the cheese, hate the cashier line, love the produce, hate the parking, etc.
But Whole Foods’ march into the District is not over. Kenney says that a new Whole Foods will open at Wisconsin and Western Avenues by the fall of 2008. And food fans are watching closely the new Whole Foods in Fairfax that is offering sit down service and – gasp – wine.
So, with Whole Foods practically out of the Columbia Heights picture, another large upscale grocery retailer has a shot at the space – think Harris Teeter or Trader Joe’s.
Harris Teeter spokeswoman Jennifer Panetta coyly tells DCist that the company doesn’t talk about opening new stores until they are a done deal, but notes that HT has lots of openings around the area in the works.
HT is poised to open a short hike away from Columbia Heights at 16th and Kalorama in the Citadel Building in late fall of this year. It plans to open a Jenkins Row location across from the Potomac Avenue Metro in September, Panetta says. It is also planning to open a second and third store in the Arlington area, according to a spokeswoman, who says Potomac Yards will open in July and Shirlington will open in September.
The fairly new Pentagon Row HT location in Arlington has drawn many District shoppers on weekends and refugees from the unbearably crowded Costco down the street.
And what say you, Trade Joe’s? Nothing on their website gives a clue, and the vibe is so laid-back, they don’t even have PR people.
The West End store is the chain’s only District outpost so far, and it gets zinged from time to time by the foodies over at Don Rockwell for its small size, crowds, and, at times, bare shelves.
The bigger, suburban TJ stores seem to have less of these issues, even the tiny one in that weird 70s plaza off of Wisconsin Avenue in Chevy Chase, MD, and the Silver Spring location north of downtown and far from Whole Foods, on Columbia Pike, which opened in 2005.
But just because big gourmet grocery stores are circling the new developments, don’t forget the old favorites and don’t let them go out of business. There’s eccentric and metro-accessible treats at Eastern Market and Rodman’s in Tenleytown.
Maybe someday the O Street Market, an 1880s-era building like Eastern Market, will reemerge in Shaw, although it’s looked pretty grim since a snowstorm collapsed the roof and structure in 2003, halting planned renovations.
Those willing to shop in the ‘burbs can find amazing and cheap Asian markets, Latin American markets, and Indian markets, but that’s a subject for another post.
Photo by Flickr user dipfan.
|
Harris Teeter is so not a gourmet grocery store. It's like the Piggly Wiggly on steroids....
Hey Whole Foods, the other 3 quadrants of the city like to eat, too.
Ah, screw 'em. The new Harris Teeter near the Potomac Ave Metro should inject some much needed life into the moribund SE grocery selection. Take that, UnSafeway!
Tesco is the new Whole Foods...Lets move on together.
Ah, stop whinging. At least you're getting something. NE DC/Northern PG Cnty is getting phuqueall. Again.
Aldi (parent of Trader Joe) opened a store 1 1/2 miles from Catholic U, 2 miles from U of MD and right by the Hyattsville/Mt. Rainier Arts Districts. But it was one of their their low-rent Aldi stores, not a TJ, presumably because in PG Co. we just want box-lot rubbish. Ah, well, at least we have Glut.
Tesco is the new Whole Foods....Lets move on together.
Ah, stop whinging. At least you're getting something. NE DC/Northern PG Cnty is getting phuqueall. Again.
Aldi (parent of Trader Joe) opened a store 1 1/2 miles from Catholic U, 2 miles from U of MD and right by the Hyattsville/Mt. Rainier Arts Districts. But it was one of their low-rent Aldi stores, not a TJ, presumably because in PG Co. all we want is box-lot rubbish. Ah, well, at least we have Glut.
The reason that some of the suburban TJs locations have less crowding is that not all have liquor licenses. For example, the mentioned location in Bethesda doesn't carry beer or wine.
Bestway!
This may be a totally unsubstantiated rumor, but I heard that Trader Joe's may be considering moving into the almost 9000 sq feet of retail space at 1010 Mass, which is under construction now.
I have already emailed Trader Joe's encouraging them to consider that space, and if this is something you're interested in, you should too. That said, I am pretty sure that 1010 Mass does not have any additional parking other than parking for unit owners, so I don't know if TJs (or any other grocery store) would actually move into that space. I hope so though...
Anyone know what the story is on the alleged Harris Teeter on H St? Word 'round the campfire is that it's been 86'd.
Tesco is certainly not the new Whole Foods. Tesco is a bottom-tier UK supermarket, known for it's cheap n' cheerful value range and slogan "Every Little Helps."
Just like Everton are the "People's Club" so are Tesco the "People's Grocery."
Along the same lines, Whole Foods are definitely the Chelsea of the industry (You paid HOW MUCH for a bit of cheese/over-rated Ukrainian striker).
Remember kids, you need three papers to skin up.
Why on earth do they need a WF at Wisconsin & Western? There's one just south in Tenley and one just north on River Road. I guess it just has to do with the demographics of the area.
wegmans!
I am not talking about quality, but hype. Hipster in LA are going GaGa for Tesco and thier solar roofs.
Wisconsin & Western? Because the one less than half a mile away on River Rd is just too far?
Aldi is fine if you're not brand conscious and/or a tightwad. Always liked HT in the Carolinas until they closed the ones in the two cities I lived in and sold them to other chains.
The reason the grocery stores across the line in MD don't sell the beer and wine isn't just because they don't have a liquor licenser - there are no grocery stores in MD that sell beer or wine by state law. Really surprised me when I moved here.
I think the new Whole Foods in Fair Oaks beats out Wegmans.
Re: David B.
The Hyattsville Aldi is decent enough. Super cheap food & sundries, but long lines.
I keep hearing rumors that Harris Teeter or Whole Foods is looking at the Cafritz parcel on US-1 in Riverdale Park.
RJ - As if NYC and DC hipsters weren't bad enough, now folks are giving pub to the object of LA hipsters affections? Barf.
Why would you want a whole foods near you? "Whole Paycheck" has bland food at absurd prices.
Does anyone else remember the people on 14th St. last summer trying to get passerbys to sign a petition asking TJ's to open a store in Logan/U St? Or the stuff on the CH mailing list about how the "quality" of the residents in the neighborhood has really increased? Crazy-ass shit, man. That said, I wouldn't mind a TJ's in my neighborhood, and with THAT said, the WF in Logan is like a mile away, walk you lazy bastards.
I thought I'd read in the post about a TJ at the corner of 14th and W in the new, huge Union Row condo development. Think there was even an online petition.
We certainly need it. 14th and P is too far to walk and the Giant is new, but you can't beat TJ's for simple stuff.
Anyone know the latest?
Q: That's not a Maryland law, that's a Montgomery County law. For a county who thinks of themselves as so progressive, they are remarkably backward in many ways.
Didn't I hear a rumor on this very site about a TJ at 14th + V? Pretty please?
It's great fun to walk a mile uphill with a case of Abita under your arm in 11 degree weather. Great fun.
I thought the TJ on 14 and W was done when I saw the plans for one in CH, but if that one is gone, then I suppose the door is back open. But I don't have any specific reason to be optimistic, other than the petition that I happily signed.
As far as I can tell you aren't allowed to have one of these stores until the previous census indicates you are at least 50% Caucasian and/or Oriental. Pretty sad that its still the case in 2007...
- JM
Q:
there are no grocery stores in MD that sell beer or wine by state law...
I know of two MD grocery stores in Gorgeous Prince George's that sell beer/wine 7 days a week:
- Glenridge Center Giant in Lanham
- Greenbelt Co-Op in Greenbelt
I have no car and have no gourmet grocery store near me at Wisconsin and Calvert NW.
Get on the 52 or 54 bus from Columbia Heights and take the bus down to the P St Whole Foods. I know that it might seem scary for some of you non-Giant shoppers to actually get on a Metrobus though, but it does run about every 10 to 15 minutes and only costs 1.25. If you get back on within two hours, your return trip is free. How's that for a deal if you don't want to carry your case of Abita back up the hill?
Can someone tell me how "Whole Paycheck" can be uttered in the same sentence as Wegmans?
as usual, this thing eats my fucking comments. anyway, go to yes! organic market in brookland. most of the stuff you want, if you're a whole foods type shopper, with NO CROWDS.
Just Soviet Safeway, um...what? Isn't there a Whole Foods about two blocks south of you?
Ah, Wegmans, how I miss thee.
I have no car and have no gourmet grocery store near me at Wisconsin and Calvert NW.
there's a whole foods just south of calvert on wisconsin...or am i just having a hard time detecting some subtle sarcasm over the inter-nerd.
Wisconsin and Calvert? There is a Whole Foods next to the baseball field which is on the corner of Wisconsin and Calvert.
I have no car and have no gourmet grocery store near me at Wisconsin and Calvert NW.
there's a whole foods just south of calvert on wisconsin...or am i just unable to detect some subtle sarcasm over the internerd?
I have no car and have no gourmet grocery store near me at Wisconsin and Calvert NW.
there's a whole foods just south of calvert on wisconsin...or am i just unable to detect some subtle sarcasm over the internerd?
Just for the record: not all of Maryland can not sell beer and wine in grocery stores. In the areas immediately around Washington, true, most can not, but there are a few stores in the area which are grandfathered in to old licenses. The Synders Super Foods in Silver Spring on Georgia just south of the beltway has a pretty good wine selection and good prices and I believe there is a Giant way up in Gaithersburg which still sells beer.
Not that it matters that much, just wanted to make the point.
Just for the record: not all of Maryland can not sell beer and wine in grocery stores. In the areas immediately around Washington, true, most can not, but there are a few stores in the area which are grandfathered in to old licenses. The Synders Super Foods in Silver Spring on Georgia just south of the beltway has a pretty good wine selection and good prices and I believe there is a Giant way up in Gaithersburg which still sells beer.
Not that it matters that much, just wanted to make the point.
Ain't it bout time they opened one of dem Giahant Iggles dahn there in Wershington?
sorry, meant Connecticut and Calvert not Wisconsin. I came in from the cold and my brain was numb. My apologies.
WHAT ABOUT HT ON H ST NW?
I don't know about all of you, but I rather enjoy the bizarre selection and inflated prices at DC Best Market on U
HIR WI GO STILLERS, HIR WI GO!
... not all of Maryland can not sell beer and wine in grocery stores ...
County or state, the restrictive liquor laws seem to be more common than not. I've lived in three different Maryland counties (Baltimore, Harford, and Prince George's), and I had to go to the local liquor shack for just about everything.
Re: Maryland beer and wine laws...
I would like to point you to the website for Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws.
Anyone desiring at Wegmans in DC proper is gonna be disappointed. They've been pretty clear about only building new stores on HUGE tracts of land, so that their stores can be gigantic and have tons of parking. Good luck finding such a parcel of land in the city itself.
April - "HT is poised to open a short hike away from Columbia Heights at 16th and Kalorama in the Citadel Building in late fall of this year."
Are you mistakenly going off of old info on this one, as it was supposed to open in Fall 2006, or are they really going to open over a year late? I know they've been really slow but I figured they would at least open by summertime.
Am I the only one confused by grocers' insistence on tons of parking in order to move into the city? That was apparently a huge dealbreaker on the Layfayette space on 7th Street where Balducci's broke their lease. With so many people willing to walk with their groceries (or a case of beer a mile up a hill), I just don't get it.
Balducci's sucks. Who could possibly like that place? It's all about the Wegmans
Rich, I ride the 52/54 every day to work. I'm certainly not "afraid" of it. And I do the majority of my shopping at Giant because it's close. But I really don't think you can argue that the 14th and P WF is convenient for CHers. It ain't.
I heart Snyders. There's also a very tiny grocery store in the Four Corners shopping plaza (also in Silver Spring) that has a surprisingly good beer/wine selection.
Will --
14th and P Whole Foods is convenient enough for Columbia Heights or Mt. Pleasant if you really do the majority of your shopping at Giant. For the few times you need something at Whole Foods, it's a quick bus ride away, on either the 52/54 or the S2/S4.
And except in the winter, you can get better meats and produce at the farmers markets in both neighborhoods than at Whole Foods, anyway.
Minor correction to the story -- there are already at least 3 Harris Teeters in Arlington, possibly more I'm not aware of. Pentagon Row, Ballston, and Lee Highway (I'll give you a pass on the 3rd one, since it's not metro accessible). So, Shirlington & Potomac Yard would have to be 4 & 5.
Also, Yinzer, I hope you're kidding... Giant Eagle sucks. I was so happy to get away from their awful monopoly in Pittsburgh. The Waterfront store isn't bad, but the others I'd been in were terrible. Comparably, almost anything in this area is great...
SUPER H MART IN FAIRFAX!!!!!!
It's so good it's worth driving all the way out of the city for.
...Whole Foods’ march into the District is not over...a new Whole Foods will open at Wisconsin and Western Avenues...and food fans are watching closely the new Whole Foods in Fairfax that is offering sit down service and – gasp – wine.
"Tip-toeing about the lily-white lace edging of DC," I think you meant to write.
A big new development at 16th and East-West Highway - a block north of the DC line - will supposedly have a Harris Teater.
Deliveries to GIANT are made between 3-3:30 am. The guy who does them doesn't use the LOADING DOCK. He parks his truck in the front, so you hear "Beep beep" every time he's unloading stuff. I wouldn't have a problem with 5am deliveries, at least then I could just get out of bed and head to work...
living SO CLOSE to Giant does have it's down-side (especially when it's not my #1 store of choice-- 25th and L TJ'S)
Welcome to city life, adubyailkinson. If you want silence, move to the burbs.
phot, where near 16th & east-west? i live right near there and can't imagine where they would be a grocery store, especially with a giant about a block up from the d.c. line on colesville.
does anyone have an active list of all new grocerys opened recently or going to open w/in the past year /or will be opening this yr ? or know how and where i can get that info for the district and mont/pg co? tmo
i don't care what grocery stores we get. DC is more underserved in grocery store sq. footage per population than nearly any other city.
the legacy of the riots still continues
From high end expensive to low end cheap, we need all we can get.
I wish a Mom's Organic Market would open in DC. I've been to the one in College Park on numerous occasions. They are the cheapest, highest quality and friendliest organic market that I have ever frequented BY FAR! They now have 4 locations. I would adore living within walking distance to one.
for the person wondering about the grocery store at 16th and east west, i believe it will be on the northwest corner of that intersection, they will be tearing down that section of "falkland chase" and building a huge apt? building with a grocery underneath...similar to the setup at the giant a half mile away ibelieve...