RECENT COMMENTS
There is demand for a better grocery store in downtown Richmond
One focus of recurring complaint in the area is the Farm Fresh on Main Street. While it serves as an adequate middle-of-the-road grocery store, nobody really seems to like the place, and there is an untapped demand for a different kind of store.
A recent email sums it up and calls for something to happen, if not right here in the neighborhood than at least somewhere downtown:
As I’m sure you know, the selection is getting increasingly worse, the produce is low quality and over priced […] It’s ridiculous that there’s not a decent grocery east of Belvidere […] Is it feasible that the Market could be bought out — or is a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s or Harris Teeter or Wegman’s plausible on Broad between Belvidere and the Bottom? I’m a fan of local, but I admit that I think some big box stores on Broad could really help revitalize the area — and keep our tax dollars in the city.
Other than the Farm Fresh, there are 3 other options for buying groceries in the area: the Food Circus on Creighton Road and the Community Supermarket on Mechanicsville Turnpike, both embedded in the public housing at the north edge of the area; and the Martin’s at White Oak, a few miles away and in Henrico.
Dreamscape 25th Street Corridor. Imagine a magical grocery store just to the north.
A grocery store has been part of the greater discussion regarding the future of the vacant block at 25th and Nine Mile, though the idea of any development there is feeling more and more fantastical. In 2006 then-Councilwoman McQuinn said we’d see a grocery store at 25th and Nine Mile by 2008. Even if were to happen, this would not likely be a great improvement on the Farm Fresh.
A 2010 piece on Shockoe News put forth the idea that Manchester would be a great location for Whole Foods:
It seems that a Whole Foods in Manchester would not only serve the growing density in the immediate area, but also draw folks from Shockoe, Tobacco Row, Forrest Hill, the Fan, and Church Hill. […]
The map below shows the population within a 2 1/2 mile radius of Commerce and Hull and then a 5 mile radius. The smaller circle pulls in VCU, much of the Fan, Byrd Park, and almost everyone west to Westover Hills, much of the greater Church Hill area, and Fulton.
I’ve heard talk in recent years that Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s have considered Jackson Ward as a next location in the Richmond area.
There’s also a Food Lion on airport road that is close to here and Chimbo Mini Mall has some groceries as well. Neither is an awesome option but thought I’d point those out in the interest of completeness.
Personally, I think we are in need of two grocery stores in the area – a budget friendly option like Food Lion (maybe 25th and 9 Mile) and a store with more gourmet / ready to eat stuff like Fresh Market / Elwood’s / Trader Joe’s to serve the Bottom lofts and Hill. The market’s big problem is it occupies and awkward middle ground between the two. It’s neither particularly cheap nor particularly well rounded or upscale. We have a very bi-polar community and this fails for most residents.
Just a thought – if Church Hill Association wants to flex their muscles on the new ballpark development, what about insisting that the developer include a grocery store in the complex?
What are the population figures for the 2 1/2 mile radius?
Take a look at all the barren space bounded by Main, Expressway, 2nd and 5th Streets in this view from the John Marshall website:
http://johnmarshallresidences.com/neighborhood.htm
An ideal location for a destination store like Wegmen’s and other big box stores in a park-like mid-city setting. About the only significant building worth saving within the 6-block area is The Richmond Ballet.
Wegman’s–no, they like opening the huge stores. If Richmond gets one (which is possible per a manager at the Frederickburg store) it’ll probably be in Short Pump or Midlothian.
Harris Teeter–much like Farm Fresh, ridiculously expensive.
Trader Joe’s–let’s face it, it’s mainly for frozen processed food and cheap wine.
Whole Foods–this could happen. I’ve been to a few WFs around the country and a lot of them are in urban settings. The one that comes to my mind whose floor plan would work in downtown is the store in the Financial District of San Francisco. It wasn’t huge but it had good variety (and a kick-ass salad/hot bar).
Elwood Thompson’s tried to branch out into Midlothian–I used to live near Bellgrade and remember it well. Maybe they could branch into downtown more successfully?
If there was a legitimate demand you would have one by now.
If Whole Foods comes to the city, I put my money on a location somewhere near Broad and Boulevard.
TJs puts a great emphasis on educational level. While there are well educated people downtown, do some of the surrounding impoverished neighborhoods skew the stats downward, thus discouraging them?
Wegman’s would never come downtown before the burbs… they want a big piece of land for a massive store and even more massive parking lot. Short Pump or Midlothian, and at best it’s several years away.
That leaves Martin’s, Kroger, and Food Lion. I’ve heard rumors of a Manchester Food Lion. Kroger would say that downtown/Bottom, etc are within the trade area for either Carytown or Lombardy. Not sure of Martin’s appetite for urban stores – my guess is that their next phase in this market will be replacing older, smaller stores in the suburbs with larger formats stores.
Although Manchester (where I currently reside) is an up and coming area, there is a lot of deelopment still to be done. In fairness to the fact that this all who would access a grocery store in our neighborhood are living the loft lifestyle, a decently priced, accessible grocery store would be ideal. It could be a Food Lion or a Kroger which I truly feel would meet the mixed needs of this very diverse community. A Whole Foods would be a huge smack in the face to the surrounding communities whose demographics do not suggest that WF would be a very accessible option. It is important to serve a community as a whole and not to the targeted idealistic demographic. Just my thoughts as I have heard people living in Blackwell, Hillside, etc. complain about the lack of access to a quality grocery store.
Wow my phone grammar obviously is horrid. Corrections being made to my comment:
“In fairness to the fact that all who would access a grocery store in our neighborhood are NOT living the loft lifestyle”
When our Ukrops closed a few years ago it was a real blow. It was a smallish store with a friendly staff, parking was easy and I could get in and out in 15 minutes. Now we (downtowners) are left at the mercy of Kroger. I love the pharmacy, but nothing else. A Trader Joe’s would be magnificent, but I haven’t heard any recent rumors about it. That would be news.
I’m surprised that no one has mentioned the grocery options in Carytown. Ellwood Thompson, Martins, Kroger and soon to be Fresh Market. I live at Rockett’s Landing and I would love to have a market so close I could walk to it but can’t complain at 4 stores only a few miles away. I’m ususally out that way working or doing errands anyway so. I can’t rely on Tobacco Row for veggies and I rather not die from eating something from their stinky seafood dept or the meat counter with no local or organic selections but they are great for cereal, milk, beer etc. All this being said a Whole Foods between Williamsburg Rd and rt5 would be sweeett the more I think about it 🙂
I thought about this today as I waited in line for a half an hour at farm fresh to buy two items.
I understand Kari’s point about accessibility, and I agree with Alex that two grocery stores (minus the Farm Fresh) would really be ideal.
That said, I would love for a Whole Foods (or similar) to open in the area, and I think there’s a market for it. If it was a grocery store that was not already in the city, it would pull in business from other neighborhoods as well. And in addition to residential consumers, if it’s located close enough to downtown businesses, I imagine it would draw a substantial lunch crowd as well.
What can be done to encourage a grocery store, such as Whole Foods, to open on our side of town (whether it be downtown, the Bottom or farther east)?
The Market at Tobacco Row was an “upscale” market when it opened in 2003 by Johnny Johnson of Community Pride fame. He wanted it to be disassociated from his other stores to compete with Ukrops. I remember there use to be live jazz bands and singers on the upper balcony above Starbucks every Thursday evening. But then he ended up being sued by SuperValue and Richfood in 2006 for $3.8-million and he countered saying ” that SuperValu and Richfood engaged in “questionable business practices” that harmed his companies, such as “being shorted on product deliveries” and improper collection of manufacturer’s rebates.” and “the companies interfered with his plans for expansion and growth, and that their actions caused him health problems, including ulcers, shingles and impotence.”
SuperValu ended up taking over the store prior to Farm Fresh and it has been downhill ever since. (It looked like Ukrop was interested in 2009 but they have since went bust). There is zero customer service. The selection has gotten worse. Ever since Colleen left (retired) the seafood department it has been awful and smells. And prices are NOT competitive and in fact, some price gouging is going on. I can cite one example being the Cesar brand dog food which retails for .89¢ and they are selling it for .99¢ and can be bought at Food Lion every day for .65¢. Complaining to their corporate office doesn’t result in anything.
If there is a change in the ownership, I hope they 1) keep the walk-in beer cooler 2) self-serve check-outs and 3) have competitive pricing with weekly specials.
@ billy – agree. Stopped in last evening just to pick up a few things – one cashier and about 20 people in line. I am continually disappointed in this market.
Eric – as someone who was working at Supervalu during that time period, I can tell you that there are a couple details you got slightly incorrect in your account but it’s pretty accurate overall. I don’t want to go into too much detail for confidentiality reasons but:
1. Johnny was way behind on loans Supervalu made him and decided to pull the plug on a lot of his stores.
2. Supervalu had agreed to cosign a lot of his leases and was left “holding the bag” on several locations they had no desire to be involved with. The Market was one of them.
3. Farm Fresh is owned by Supervalu and was chosen to help manage this location. As many folks know, Farm Fresh’s primary area of operation is in the Tidewater area and this is not a market they have much experience with.
4. Farm Fresh’s Tidewater area stores actually compare well with Martin’s and the nicer Kroger stores around here.
My personal take: Because this was a geographic outlier and is smaller than a typical Farm Fresh, I don’t think it was an ideal fit for Farm Fresh’s normal model. I also think they’ve been hesitant to invest in it as they aren’t looking to expand this far. So basically, Supervalu inherited a store they didn’t want and this has been largely a triage experiment.
Not to mention the parking fiasco.
Manchester would be magnificent for a grocery store.
If there’s interest in a Whole Foods in the downtown/Shockoe Bottom/Church Hill/Manchester area, let’s tell Whole Foods!
Information about what Whole Foods looks for in a retail location:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info/real-estate
Link to Store Location Request:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/customer-service
Whole Foods Broker List:
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/sites/default/files/media/Global/Company%20Info/PDFs/brokerlist.pdf
Contact info for the Whole Foods broker in our area:
MID ATL Virginia – Central
Andy Hofheimer
Phone: 904.598.7616
Cell: 904.613.3000
Ahofheimer@regencycenters.com
Alex, yes… my account was not as detailed but kind of figured people already knew that Johnson was being sued because he owed a boatload of money by not paying his bills.
Oh, the parking fiasco Mitch. The parking deck next to it was originally supposed to be part of the store and have a side entrance out of the weather – like some Ukrops had side entrances to their sit and eat area.. Notice the roofline architecture is the same and that door to nowhere in the deck. Not sure what happened on that level but the parking lot is way too small and it is almost impossible to get out of spaces closer to the building due to traffic.
Say, why not replace the Market with a Whole Foods (or Trader Joe’s) and make (almost) everyone happy?
You don’t want to price them out of business. Convenience is one thing, glamour pricing is another especially since this is mainly a local “pick up dinner” store. We just need something else than Farm Fresh there.
On Tuesday and Thursday Senior Citizen discount day (age 55 or older), you have to ask for the discount.
They have a “if it rings up as a higher price than advertised” then you get it free policy. Again, won’t happen unless you say something.
And of course after Johnny Johnson left the scene, taking groceries to the car for the customer was gone.
Don’t even see the senior pickup and delivery ride service any longer.
In other words Farm Fresh sucks swamp water when it comes to Customer Service. At least that store.
I think the Market is too small for what Whole Foods typically prefers to work with (and as a large chain I don’t think they’d have a lot of appetite for modifying their store plans just for a single store). TJ’s might be an option but we’d probably still need a second option that carried some of the more popular brands to fill in around their store brand stuff. Neither would be perfect for about half the community on its own but would at least please some folks.
I would think we’d see another drug store before we see another grocer. Smaller footprint and better margins, yet no one has decided to move in against the CVS. Driving to Carytown for grocery shopping seem a bit much too, when it requires either a 20 minute drive or paying tolls.
i’m a little surprised no one has brought up Relay. For many of those who post on this site, you have instant access to many grocers, local and Whole Foods through Relay. You just order online and pick up, right outside of Central Montessori on Tuesdays. Whole Foods doesn’t need to move here when you can get groceries that way. Price difference is negligible when you factor in gas and time.
That said, for those who aren’t in the market for higher end groceries, we are in desperate need of a good grocery. Someone said it perfectly when they said The Market is a “pick up dinner” market. We do all our shopping through Relay, Trader Joe’s {once a month} or Kroger {at Willow Lawn…. the VCU store and East End stores are HORRIBLE. Not a fan of Martin’s}.
I agree, I loath going to Farm Fresh! I only go there when I need a few items at best. I make the trek to Kroger for my big shopping trips, even if I do have to make the hike to Carytown or White Oak.
I don’t think the area can support only a Whole Foods. They would need to build something new. What about near the Rocket’s Landing area? Seems like a lot of empty space that direction, especially with the expansion of that area upcoming. How do we get this ball rolling? So tired of having to driving 10-15 minutes away for a decent piece of fish, chicken, or produce. I’ve definitely been on numerous occasions and they were completely out of chicken breasts, corn, etc. and I’ll be damned if I touch anything that comes out of the seafood department. It’s all I can do to walk past it and the horrific smell.
And they would be wise to add more self-checkout lines and/or more cashiers. It is ridiculous that there are generally only 1-2 on duty at any given time.
I agree that Relay Foods is a great option, and we use it about once a month to stock up on specialty items, I don’t think it’s a good replacement for a brick-and-mortar grocery store.
First of all, it only stocks the bestselling items for each store and there are a lot of items that I buy regularly that Relay doesn’t carry, even if Whole Foods or the Market sells the item.
Second, many items are outrageously marked up at Relay Foods. (Anyone in the market for a $17 bottle of Tide?) Third, many times when I buy food, I want to check expiration dates, and that’s not possible with Relay Foods. (Ex. If the spinach clamshell expires tomorrow and the arugula expires next week, I buy the arugula. Or if the yogurt I am buying has a longer expiration, I will buy a lot more containers of it.)
Fourth, some of the local produce vendors on Relay seem to send their less desirable produce to Relay (makes sense since most people don’t check over the produce as carefully when someone has already selected it for them), so I am now reluctant to buy local produce from them. I’ve just gotten one too many shrivelled cucumbers/soft bell peppers from vendors that have great stuff at farmer’s markets.
And last of all, the only full-service “normal” grocery store that works with Relay is our very own Market. So for normal grocery items that people are complaining about being too expensive or not enough selection at the Market, Relay is just a way to get groceries from the Market with another layer of mark-ups.
What about something like the Libbie Market (used to be Joe’s Market)? They expanded to Ridgefield Parkway. Maybe they would consider coming down here.
Half of my Church Hill life there was no grocery store at all. So I was thrilled when Jimmy’s store opened. But I found that one just as gross as Farm Fresh and continued to go to Kroger in Carytown on the way home from work every week. I went to Farm Fresh when I ran out of things. I hate to say it but I think if a Trader Joes or Whole Foods didn’t jump on the space in Carytown where the Fresh Market is going, they won’t come downtown. Sadly, this space seems to be the perfect size for a Trader Joes, but the parking lot would pose huge problems.
As Delrose said back in comment #6, if the demand is there, it will come. Unfortunately there just isn’t enough demand in the area for a higher end store. Wegman’s isn’t going to go out of their way to tailor a smaller store (with lesser profits) just to accommodate the wants of the few. What makes the issue worse is that the area IS served by a grocery store already- it’s just a store that sucks. The real solution is getting someone to take over that store that will run and stock it better. But for now the area can’t sustain 2 stores, no no one else is coming in.
I shop at Ellwood and the Carytown in one trip about once a week. I also have a Frog Bottom farm share that I pick up once a week outside of the Montessori school. I also pick up missing items from Farm Fresh when I need them. I agree their fish counter is pretty dismal and I don’t eat meat so I can’t speak to that selection, but I think the store is fairly acceptable for my needs: good beer and wine selection and decent packaged organic store brand (Culinary circle?) I’m not a fan of trader Joe’s since their produce is never ever local and 90% of their items are pre-packaged foods (which I don’t really buy). What about trying to start a natural foods neighborhood co-op that would cover many of the same bases as Ellwood without assuming the burden of wine and beer (which are available at decent prices at the Market)? I’m thinking the kind of co-op where you pay to join and take turns working – could have local meats, veggies, dairy products, bulk items.
Everyone is hitting on a particular issue anyway when it comes to businesses in the east side of town, especially on weekends. We just don’t have the variety or availability to shop for much of anything. For meats, dog food, snacks and such I go to Food Lion in Mechanicsville. Much cheaper especially with the MVP Card. For bulk purchases I go to Wal-Mart also in Mechanicsville. Neither is that much of a drive from Church Hill considering but still, when all we had was the Check-Mart where Buzzy is now and everything was out of date, Johnny’s store was a breath of fresh air and a welcome option from driving to Ukrops at VCU or Kroger.
But the bottom line is that Farm Fresh is over priced (even employees says this and won’t shop there), doesn’t offer enough specials, customer service is non existent, the store isn’t always clean, I find many out of date items on the shelves (often report them “when” I can find someone), and the parking lot was poorly designed. We just need a different chain grocer there who will offer customer service… no one mentioned Martin’s ?
Eric
A Whole Foods is definitely not the answer. Most of the community can not afford to shop there, and WF would figure that out very quickly with a bit of market research. A better option would be one of the more well-known stores (Kroger, Martin’s, etc) opening up one with an emphasis on a gourmet foods section. While I would love to abandon my epic journey to Trader Joe’s in Short Pump in favor of one much closer to me, even that isn’t the best option. I don’t find that to be a one-stop grocery store. They just don’t carry enough of a selection.
Any store that goes in has to cater to a broad spectrum of clientele from all income brackets.. not just a select few target groups. That would be bad business modeling.
As well as what the neighborhood needs. Not everyone is into Health Food or Organics so there has to be variety tool.
Hello, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Adam Buckley and I am the Store Director at the Farm Fresh on Tobacco Row. My associates and I strive to provide the highest quality and freshest product available every day, along with outstanding customer service. At Farm Fresh, we are always looking for ways to better meet the needs of our customers, and we truly appreciate your comments. My goal as a Store Director is not only to provide an outstanding neighborhood grocery store for people to shop, but also to be an active member in our community. I would personally like to invite you to stop by so we can futher discuss what we can do to become an extraordinary neighborhood grocery store for the Richmond community.
Eric:
No one mentioned Martin’s because as you noted, “we just need a different chain grocer there who will offer customer service.” As Martin’s refuses to offer anything that remotely resembles customer service, I think that may explain the lack of mentions they are receiving.
In addition to Relay, if you haven’t tried Farm to Family on Mech. Tnpk, you’re missing out on great produce. Also, local oysters yum! Just past Mosby court across from the showplace.
The neighborhood needs a quality, reasonably-priced store where the current Farm Fresh is — Kroger would work (I’ve not been that impressed with Martin’s, but it would still be a big step up from the Market).
The city — specifically downtown and east — could use, and I believe, support an “upscale” grocery with a wide selection of natural and organic products, such as Whole Foods. There are blocks of empty buildings on Broad driving east from Belvidere. And, why not in the Bottom? Having a higher-end store would be a draw for new residents and pull people from all over the city back downtown, instead of to Short Pump. If we could actually entice a Whole Foods — and other retail, such as a Target — to the center of the city, further revitalization efforts would have to follow.
What can we do to attract these stores’ attention to downtown Richmond?
Quite happy with Farm Fresh really – friendly place and I like most of the staff, the goods and the clientele there too. Sounds to me like many people with – comparatively – fringe shopping interests moving into an area without a sufficient demographic to support pricey stores and then moaning about it. People who love to shop at Elwood Thompsons (nothing wrong with that store either, as far as I’m concerned) and wanting to bike there to do their shopping should maybe consider choosing their residence thereabouts.
And let’s not forget trying to get deli meat ordered is like pulling teeth.
Maybe a Whole Foods (or TJ’s) would see the area trending towards a younger, higher income market. Look at the surrounding areas, Tobacco Row, Church Hil, Shockoe Bottom, Rockett’s Landing, Manchester etc. Maybe closing The Market would attract a store like Food Lion to open up on 25th Street to serve the rest of the market. Everybody would be better served.
I still like the idea of a Trader Joe’s in Shockoe Bottom. I think it would be a great fit.
Mitch-
I know what you mean! I have so many funny Farm-Fresh-deli-stories. One time, the guy working in the deli had never heard of pancetta– he thought I made it up. Another time, the girl had never heard of gouda before. You would think that they would at least give the deli employees a list of the foods available in the deli, and make them be familiar with those items.
The best was when the girl was cutting my meat, and a cute guy shows up, and she just stops the order right then… nope, I’m not going to get the whole amount of ham I ordered, and nope, no cheese for me today… the deli worker has much more important things going on than serving food to customers!
Re: Deli… I too have had experiences. The store doesn’t carry P&P (Pickle and Pimento Loaf) which is basically a sweet bologna with relish and stuffed Spanish olives in it. This is a “standard” item and one that has been around for ages so nothing new. Just that the deli person never heard of it, doesn’t carry it, and the self-serve floor displays don’t have it either. I asked the manager to get it to no avail.
As mentioned that this location is a “pick up dinner” spot, I do want good Fried Chicken. You can’t beat the 8-piece price and they use to advertise price comparison with other stores but the quality has gone down hill from pre Farm Fresh. Now the pieces are small, often dried out to the bone, lack seasoning as before, or bigger pieces undercooked. Yet, would like to be able to pick up 8-pieces or dinner by the pound through whomever comes in.
Brett F.
I admit that I haven’t visited Martin’s since they took over Ukrops (none close to Church Hill) but thought they were committed to continue the Customer Service that Ukrops was known for?
Eric, there’s a decent Martin’s at White Oak shopping center which is pretty close to Church Hill. I shop there sometimes when I’m over at that target.
@ Martin, we bought our house after moving from Charlottesville before we ever knew that Ellwood existed! If I knew what I know now about Richmond (8.5 years later), I may well have ended up in a different neighborhood back then. But I’ve been lucky enough to watch Church Hill evolve from a community with very little in the way of restaurants and other amenities to a restaurant hotspot. It seems like an ET-type place could work in Church Hill. It was the original plan for the Anthony’s space and it was what I hoped HOH might have become with more support. Anyone ever been to a goodfoods grocery? http://www.goodfoodsgrocery.com/locations.htmlThey have two stores (one in the West End and one in Stony Point) so they already have economies of scale. I’ve always been curious about them, but not enough to drive to the West End or the Southside (after 8 years, I still get lost anytime I have to go farther south than Forest Hills).
Eric…
You want delicious fried chicken? Try Sandra’s. It’s a mere 4 minute drive away from Farm Fresh. You won’t be disappointed.
As far as Martin’s goes, they’re doing just fine without the confederate NASCAR Ukropian crowd. Don’t be afraid to give them a try! Really. Martin’s is not even a 10 minute drive from any point in Church Hill. Just because some 19 year old kid making $9 an hour doesn’t know about magical pickled olive peppercorn pimento loaf doesn’t mean you can’t be “served” properly. The days (daze) of “customer service” are over. Welcome to 2012.
I’m a bit suprised so many folks are complaining and whining about the food available in the neighborhood. Does anyone remember how much worse “The Market” was 5 or 8 years ago? Leagues worse. They have steadily added more and more healthy, ethnic, fresh & organic options. This past week I paid $3 for a whole watermelon, .99 a pound for tomatoes, $2 for a bag of spinach, .88 for progresso soup, 2.49 for organic olive oil, .66 for 32 oz. gatoraide and $3 for a dozen free range eggs. Sure, they are a bit clueless on what to stock (given the biploarity of the demographic they serve it’s not a suprise) and they may gouge on some prices, but surely smart shoppers like the clever readers of CHPN can figure out what’s worth paying their hardearned cash for… and shop elsewhere for what isn’t.
Let’s not forget that Church Hill is a quick trip to Farm-to-Family, there are several neighborhood gardens that sell their bounty (plus the 17th street farmer’s market), there’s Frog Bottom Farm pickup and a number of places to eat out (from a $3 taco at Alamo to for a $30 slice of trout and glass of wine at the Roosevelt). Eating options abound and have gotten better and better in the past few years…
Does anyone reading this really think Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods (and their outrageous prices) are “the solution” for the entire neighborhood population? I assure you that 90% of the people in the east end DO NOT EVEN CARE about TJ’s. “Speciality” grocers who cater to people with vast expendable income will continue to set up shop in places like Short Pump. If you want your prepackaged mango-lime salsa made in a processing plant 3000 miles away then drive to Short Pump. You could also go to Farm Fresh, pick up some Hanover tomatoes, onion, peppers & lime for a few dollars and chop them up… voila… salsa without a 30 mile trip.
You guys are cracking me up. I know I will probably have to wrestle about a half dozen of you for the “Crankiest Old Fart on CHPN” crown, but when I lived at Chimborazo & M in the early 1990s we had two choices, the Community Pride on 25th or the Chimbo Mart (which just got the Holmberg treatment here: http://wtvr.com/2012/08/14/holmberg-once-infamous-market-now-anchorning-reborn-church-hill-neighborhood/). We would have been thrilled to have a store like The Market.
I live on South Side now, and we are in a similar position, though it’s not too terribly far to the Food Lion and Martin’s in Stratford Hills. I’ll add my voice to the chorus wishing for a Trader Joe’s inside the city.
Agreed. If you think the majority of residents of this neighborhood would be best served by a Whole Food/Trader joes/Ellwoods you’re living in a bubble in the worst kind of way.
So many have weighed in on what should go in at the current Farm Fresh location, but what gives anyone the idea they’re willing to sell?
The Farm Fresh store director has offered to speak to anyone with complaints, why don’t some of you with strong opinions take him up on it? Perhaps it’s easier to complain anonymously, but if he knows more of what’s customers dislike he can do more to fix it.
Eric,
If you really want good fried chicken, I would like to recommend The Dixie Chicken. It’s over on Westover Hills Blvd but well worth the drive.
http://www.thedixiechicken.com/Menu.html
@ P Mayo – I agree! Mr Buckley has offered to meet and talk with people in the neighborhood for feedback and I, for one, plan to take him up on it!
I emailed Mr. Buckley directly – no response yet.
As for Chicken at Sandra’s – hasn’t that went under new management now called Big Boys or something like that? I don’t see the same crowd and don’t see the promotions as before so wonder about the food quality? If I want to drive I would go and get Lee’s Chicken.
Re: Martins… again, it’s about “customer service” re Ukrops style. Some people will pay the extra for good service – just like in a restaurant. Happy smiling faces that will talk to you in line. Get to know the regulars. People visible on the floor offering to help. Baggers that will wheel your groceries to the car. etc.. I know when Martin’s first took over they were committed to keep that service people came to know. Do they still stand by that commitment?
Adam Buckley, Store Manager of Farm Fresh asked in Entry #38 to establish dialogue with the neighborhood. He wasn’t acknowledged until Jack (#49), P Mayo (#51) and Karen (#53) commented. While the store is adjacent to upscale apartments, much of its business is from less afluent areas where there is little or no option. Buckley’s job is to balance the needs of everyone. It would seem face to face discussions with the gentleman would benefit all.
Meanwhile, Mark Holmberg’s story elsewhere in chpn about Chimborazza Market is uplifting.
Burt,
Some of the delay is due to the moderation process. Posts come through in batches as John approves them and so a lot of those posts following couldn’t see Adam’s post when they wrote theirs. I suspect many of us are now planning to reach out to Farm Fresh and provide feedback.
Just to play devil’s advocate though… should a lot of these issues really be a surprise to a store manager?
Eric,
Do you have an email address for Mr. Buckley or did you use the general Farm Fresh one? Many of us don’t have time to spend hunting down the store manager to tell him how to do his job but I’d like to pass along some feedback if I get the chance. I worry that the general email address for Farm Fresh is likely to go into a black hole.
Alex… apparently Mr. Buckley works over at the Albertsons food chain site but his emails also direct to call him at Farm Fresh. The email I only see for him regular through a Google search is:
adam.buckley@albertsons.com
Eric
I suspect that’s an old email address. Doubt you’ll get much luck with that. Supervalu bought Albertson’s a while back and my guess is they transferred him in.
Trader Joe’s would be insanely popular.
This is my correct email address and I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these concerns with each and every one of you. I have been the Store Manager at this location for almost a year and I am always looking for ways to improve the overall shopping experience for all of my guests.
Mr. Buckley,
If you read the comments in this thread, I don’t think we would need to have much discussion, face to face. The store is dirty, understaffed, under stocked, poor selection, etc. etc. I think your and our time would be more efficiently used if you take these comments to heart and act on them. We are not here to criticize unobjectively. We feel we have little or no recourse other than to entertain/solicit other high end grocers to move into the area.
On another point, I feel that the more affluent denizens of CH would shop at FF if the store addressed these issues. Furthermore, I don’t think there needs to be a public outcry for these changes to be made…
Hey Joe
You sure are great at being opinionated. Take your affluent, high end, stuck up ass to another neighborhood for your shopping. The majority of the people even on this thread aren’t as rude as you. In fact, maybe a better idea would be for you to have a servant fetch and prepare your meals for you. Stop using “we” because you have a stuck up neighbor or two who “agree” with you in a community of tens of thousands.
True, all has pretty much been said about the current situation with Farm Fresh Shockoe.
Poor Customer Service with unfriendly staff.
No visible staff on the floor to offer help.
No visuals telling about Senior Discount days nor the Price Match display tag or its free policy.
The store is small but offerings are more on the high end retail product lines… not much as for generics or Farm Fresh lines especially bread for weekends.
Bakery items often stale especially doughnuts which will stay on the shelves until sold – dry and stale instead of being baked fresh daily there.
I have noticed some price gouging (selling above MSRP retail price).
The store is not as clean as it should be.
The fish department has gone downhill and smells sometimes all the way up to the front door (meaning not fresh) ever since Colleen left. She kept the department clean, orderly, and was great to shoppers sometimes giving a little “extra” to regulars.
Poor cashier management – lines can be backed up down the isles but no one will open up another register to speed things up. There use to be “Express Lanes Open Guarantee” times banners hanging – no loner happening.
Stock rotation not happening like it should – finding too many out of date or getting ready to go out items on the shelves.
Food Service and Deli closes too early for those who come in to pick up dinner. Remember, dinner starts at 6PM and expect fresh items on the steam tables then.
Not enough competitive specials… not seeing the 10-for-10 specials as before.
Shopping Carts not always rounded up and available. I prefer the smaller carts since I am not shopping for a week at this location and hand baskets are always stacked up at the OUT door (left) rather than the IN door (right) where they should be.
Parking lot is a joke – too small and handicap spots placed in inconvenient locations where you can not easily get out due to traffic.
And on and on but this is the basics I can think of.
Eric
And the Salad Bar is never tended to. Is always messy, spoons (handles) left in the food – not sanitary. That should always be attended per health codes.
I would just like to say I think the Market has greatly improved in the last couple years compared to where it used to be. No, it doesn’t have a huge selection, but it’s also a small store that can only handle so much and has to fill the needs of two completely different demographics. As for cleanliness, maybe I’m not looking in the right places but it seems just as clean as any other Food Lion or even Kroger that I walk into around town. And yes the service could be improved a bit, but I feel like some people on here are really over exaggerating or have unattainable expectations.
As for bringing in new stores I agree having a lower price option will be a necessity, unless of course we can get a Kroger over here, maybe by Rocketts.
And btw not everyone loves Trader Joe’s. I for one was extremely disappointed the first time I walked into one of their stores in San Francisco and felt the same disappointment when it made it’s way to Short Pump.
I like the Farm Fresh. Yes it is smaller size hence the limited offerings. I have found the staff friendly and the managers open to my comments. I find grocery items reasonable in price, much less expensive and a bigger variety there than at Ellwood’s, Fresh Market or whole foods.
No store is going to please everyone. This store does try. People on this thread type like it’s a dump and the community would be better served without the Farm Fresh. Get real. It’s a decent store, with fine folks serving fine folks. Thanks for being there and having great hours Farm Fresh.
Customer Service expectations not unobtainable. I remember when Johnson opened it up and the service was great then. Had a variety of cashiers. They would smile and chat with you even if they were outside of the store.
Currently there is no offer to take bags to customer’s cars as with Ukrops or when Johnny had the store…not even for seniors who would obviously have problems with them.
Currently you get people who will only talk to other employees. They don’t smile and seems to be there only to collect a paycheck (hurry up and get out of my lane so I can go on a break attitude).
If you ask for help it is like pulling teeth and any complaints just go in one ear and out the other – never written down, never followed-up on. And if you ask for help on the floor, it takes forever to get someone’s attention. No one seems to ever be walking it.
I don’t think the above is beyond expectations…it is called “customer service”.
I’ve had plenty of employees talk to me and be very friendly. I’ve also had some totally ignore me. They don’t stick around long, in my experience. I’ve been going down to the Farm Fresh for the last 7 years. I don’t think they are this terrible horrible no good very bad place.
I think we have a handful of uppity neighbors who are expecting west end service in the city. I don’t see any of the staff at Ellwoods helping me out to the car with my groceries. No one at Kroger either. I always bag my own groceries at Trader Joe’s.
The Market is a much smaller scale market then Kroger VCU or Martins. They have a much smaller staff. They can’t possible cater to your whims and fancy in the way the bigger stores with more traffic (meaning more income) can.
The store has NEVER in my opinion been dirty. I’ve seen worse in the Krogers around town. The deli service is lacking, but the seafood service never is. The salad bar closes a little earlier then I like, but hey, whatever.
All in all, I think this thread is mostly middle upper class people complaining about not getting serviced. You aren’t the chief demographic of this store. Sorry boys and girls, the world does not in fact revolve around you.
Do I think the prices are a wee bit too high for my weekly shopping? I do. But I’m a poor school teacher, so, most things are out of my budget. But beyond that and the small selection, I’m really quiet pleased with The Market. Beats the Sunny Market by leaps and bounds.
What happened Sunday with their Air Conditioning system? I came in to pick up dinner and it was so cold that employees were wearing sweaters and coats and customers had to cross their arms to stay warm. I bought some drinks that were on an isle display and after driving home and taking it out of the bag to drink, they were so cold that it was like I had taken it out of the refrigerator. keeping the store cool is one thing, artic cold is another unless they were trying to cover up smells (cold air can cut down smells – fish dept again?).
just a neighbor… the “west end treatment” isn’t a bad thing and if Johnny Johnson could offer it when he opened the store as well as offer live entertainment – why can’t Farm Fresh follow the same strategy (minus the bands which were too loud in that small area). The store size hasn’t changed. That is what I am getting at.
I think this thread is mostly middle upper class people complaining about not getting serviced.
That would explain a lot of things.
Paul… service is service. That is the problem with people today. It is all about “get in and out fast” and forget the courtesies that we had years ago. But having those courtesies makes a better shopping experience and makes repeat customers. We usually tip anywhere from 25-50% at a restaurant depending on “service” no matter what kind of restaurant or what we ate. If the service was bad so will the tip.
Customer Service should NOT be restricted to economic status…never was, never should be.
Jack et al,
I apologize for coming across as rude and I do not mean to take an elitist attitude. I am at best middle class. My home is modest, my car is nearly 10 years old, and I clean my house myself as I cut my grass with a non-motorized push mower.
My post may have come across as rude because I am frustrated. There isn’t any variety close to Church Hill without driving somewhat far. I was especially frustrated that the GM of Farm Fresh seemed to ignore the complaints and frustrations of not only myself, but others, in this post and wants us to come in to voice our complaints. I thought my and most of the posts in this thread were doing just that and his want of people to come in person are intimidating and unproductive. I simply want a store that is well stocked, clean, adequately staffed and fairly priced. I don’t need Whole Foods, TJ’s or Ellwood. Heck, a nice Kroger would work for me, I just want one alternate to Farm Fresh.
I agree that when the Farm Fresh took over the Market @ Tobacco Row, there were some improvements, definitely. I think there could be more. It seems I am not the only one that thinks this.
And Jack, as for personally attacking me, I think that was unfair and unjustly deserved. I apologize if I offended you but I was not personally attacking anyone. We’re discussing a grocery store and how it can either be improved or how we can bring variety into our neighborhood. Variety creates competition and everyone wins. If FF isn’t able to rise to the challenge, perhaps someone else will.
As for everyone else, let’s keep the posts objective and not resort to personal attacks and name calling. We’re just talking about grocery stores…
So I don’t know if Adam, the GM of FF, has been listening, but I had a great experience at The Market tonight around 6:30 pm. I found reasonably priced organic strawberries and field greens, a nice kalamata olive bread, sorbet and ice cream on sale. With some other random stuff – veggies for my salad, bananas, OJ, wine, chips, my bill was around $40! I think that is very reasonable. The store was the cleanest I’ve ever seen and I had NO WAIT for a line. There were about 5 lines open. Good work, FF/Market!
Whole Foods may be looking on Broad Street
http://fanofthefan.com/2012/08/whole-foods-may-be-looking-on-broad-street/
@76 – because that is such an underserved market right now…
The Fan/Near West End already has four strong grocery stores to choose from. If there’s 45,000 residents with a median of $55K, that means about 20,000 residents making $60K. So right now, it looks like it takes about 5,000 middle class residents per store and even then Whole Foods feels it could be ok at 4,000?
I don’t know where I can find cross-tab census data but I’m pretty sure we must have about that many in Shockoe / Church Hill area. I think this proves that the not big enough middle class / affluent population argument doesn’t hold water. We certainly don’t have as many as Fan and West End but I’m willing to bet we’re approaching 1/4th or 1/5th as many. Plus some of our less affluent on paper are well educated and food conscious grad students, medical students, etc.
I guess the silver lining is that Whole Foods fans won’t have to drive to the West End anymore. Though if I’m driving this far, I don’t know that I wouldn’t rather just support the local guys at the corner of Elwood and Thompson street.
Mr. Buckley,
Terrible job on the daily deals promotion. I tried to find you this morning at the store but was told you weren’t in so I’m posting here in hopes you get this as it’s not worth my time to track you down any further.
I was actually very encouraged when I saw the flyer and believed you guys were going to run aggressive deals on selected items to cover for your higher prices on most other items. I came in this morning around 8 to find that all of the items advertised were already sold out. At 8 in the morning on the busiest day of the week!
It seems like a waste of everyone’s time and money to spend the money to mail thousands of flyers but then only have enough stock to cover the first couple shoppers who arrive that day.
Anybody else the news that Aldi is looking to come to town officially?
http://mobi.timesdispatch.com/richmond/db_309779/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=9LVvpuTj
Am I the only one who thinks this kind of format is perfect for our area? Most of the other markets in town either have good stores already or would at least have enough space to support a larger format store so they wouldn’t need this style.
Now I’m just hoping there is enough space to cram one of these in left after all of the new residential that has gone in recently.
Perhaps we can cram a grocery store in the 40 to 60 vacant acres of VCU/MCV parking in Shockoe Bottom.