Behold the ‘Stroller Safeway’, She is Beautiful

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by Prince Of Petworth June 30, 2014 at 10:20 am 150 Comments

Georgia and Randolph St, NW

I’ve been getting tons of emails from folks raving about the new Petworth Safeway that opened Friday. I’ve also been getting tons of requests for a new nickname for the former ‘stinky Safeway’. I have two reactions. One – I agree the place is beautiful. Two – I think maybe Safeway nicknames are a thing of the past. But if we want to still try with a nickname I propose – the ‘~~baby~~ Stroller Safeway’. When I stopped by on Sunday morning (and maybe it was the time I went) I saw approximately 244 babies/toddlers. They all seemed to be in heaven. I also think ‘~~baby~~ Stroller Safeway’ could be a good fit because the store is very symbolic in the continued rebirth of this section of Georgia Avenue. So there’s my vote.

Ed. Note: the City Vista Safeway in Mt. Vernon Square has already been dubbed the Sexy Safeway. Ed. Note: I don’t think anyone really calls it that today, which goes back to my feeling that Safeway nicknames may be a thing of the past…

Have a look inside:

Lots more photos after the jump.

August 2010:

August_2010

yigalelohev

I love it – shopped there twice already! Now all I have to do is walk down the block to Safeway instead of trekking over to Giant in Columbia Heights.
Bradford

Magic Hat and Harpoon aren’t “local beer,” Safeway! Get yourself together, jeez.
- Anonymous
  
  This is my one complaints as well. They advertised “local beer”, but only have Port City. A few were from Boston! They need to add DC Brau, Chocolate City, Three Stars etc. They could also use a few higher end wines.
  - Anonymous
    
    I spy Devil’s Backbone (Virginia) and Dogfish (Delaware). “Local” enough, IMHO.
    - Anonymous
      
      Maybe it was, before we had *actual* local beer. Saying those are close enough is like having to listen to another wanker from Rockville tell me they’re from DC.
      - Anonymous
        
        +1. If other stores can carry actual DC BEERS, the Safeway can too. I was disappointed.
      - Anonymous
        
        pour world keeps getting smaller and smaller.
      - Anonymous
        
        Sorry, but Devils Backbone and Dogfish Head put out beers that are light years upon light years better than anything being brewed in DC, and the only beer packaged for retail that is brewed in DC is DC Brau. But if your mission is to drink swill just to keep it hyperlocal, then that’s on you.
  - Anonymous
    
    Umm…I’m pretty sure that out of the beers you mentioned, the only one that actually sells in retail packaging (cans, in their case) is DC Brau. So you can’t blame Safeway for that.
    - Anonymous
      
      But they don’t even sell DC Brau, so…
      - Anonymous
        
        Actually they had DC Brau on Friday. It must have sold out by the time you go there. I thought it was a little too highly priced for me (12.99 or something?)
    - dcloafer
      
      Bingo, what other DC BEERS are you talking about that distribute?
      - dcloafer
        
        also I’m still baffled that anyone pays the going rate of 10.99 for a sixer of DC Brau…price it the same as Budweiser and I might bite now and again.
- anonymous
  
  I think by “local” they mean “craft.” The only truly “local” beer section I have seen in a supermarket was in a Wegmans I went to out in VA. It had a big selection of VA, MD, and DC beers. Actually, the beer section was the best thing about that store. It was perfectly fine, but after hearing so much about how awesome Wegmans is, I was underwhelmed – except for the beer section.
  - Anonymous
    
    I would agree with this assessment, except for the fact that they actually have a “Craft” section in the bigger beer aisle. I would expect that the managers of the store are probably receptive to feedback – so you should tell them the beers you’d like to see (and will buy if they stock them). They can’t read minds, and probably don’t read PoP.
  - Barry Solomon
    
    Lions on Georgia has great local beers. DC Maryland virgina. And the have a growler filler for beers that aren’t always retail
Anonymous

It looks slightly less cramped than the Georgetown Safeway. It’s worth noting that with these newer Safeways, there’s usually a honeymoon period when everything is highly staffed and the selection is vast, but after a while they tend to do a little trimming to both.
- EvilStevie
  
  +1
- annonny
  
  Same deal with HT and Giant –> grand opening = best supermarket in the city, 6 month later = same old, same old
  - Anonymous
    
    It will be up to the community to hold management and the Safeway Corporate office accountable. You can contact them with compliments/complaints at: 1-877-723-3929 or http://www.safeway.com/ShopStores/Comments
    - saf
      
      Good luck with that.
Lo

Was really looking forward to checking it out today, but if it’s romper room, that will keep me from ever shopping there.
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  Fear not! It is possible that my estimate of 244 may have been slightly exaggerated for effect…
- taco style
  
  Awesome! Glad there won’t be at least one sour pants there to glare at children for presumably being happy.
- Anon
  
  +500
pru

Another vote for Baby Safeway!
My neighbor/friend/fellow mom posted photos on Facebook on opening day, raving about the gorgeous organic baby pouches display.
Anonymous

A great improvement over the stinky Safeway, but wish they would add some art or something to the lower part of the windows along Georgia Ave. Seems a little dark and foreboding at the moment.
- pru
  
  +1 I was going to post about exactly that! All the windows are black. Not very welcoming.
  - Frankie James
    
    I love the windows!
    - Pru
      
      You mean the big black glass panes showing nothing at all on Georgia? I’m confused.
      - Frankie James
        
        Yes… it adds a very nice low light atmosphere to the inside, not that heavy bright florescence of old.
        
        Its brilliant from a designer stand point. Kind of like the old music played in the grocery stores. It relaxes you and then you shop with abandon. Its like the idea casinos use – no windows, you don’t see how much time has passed..
        
        You’re not there for the view… That is silly.
      - Anonymous
        
        We are worried about the view from the outside, not the inside. A black glass pane, or a brick wall, have about the same alienating effect.
Anon

Don’t Safeway nicknames require alliteration, traditionally? The Social Safeway, the Soviet Safeway, the Secret Safeway, the Sexy Safeway…

A little respect for the rich cultural history, please.
- Administrator
  
  stroller safeway?
  - Anonymous
    
    ^This.
  - Prince Of Petworth
    
    Excellent!
  - Anonymous
    
    +1
  - dat
    
    nice!
- Anonymous
  
  Well, there is or at least was the UnSafeway.
- Anonymous
  
  Don’t forget the Salsa Safeway
Anonymous

As a former Northern Columbia Heightser who used this stinky crack head safeway a few times, I am very very very happy for your petworthians. : )
Anonymous

Stroller Safeway > Baby Safeway.
Ed

I was a little surprised that they didn’t think to give out any free reusable shopping bags for the grand opening weekend. It would have done a lot to further their image of being appreciative of their customers, concerned about the local environment and every bag walking the street is a free advertisement. I went both Friday and Saturday and each time saw most people walking out with groceries in disposable bags. I’m not clamoring for free stuff. I have a ton of bags already. It just seemed like a big missed opportunity.
- JRL
  
  They were giving out free reusable bags on Sunday.
  - Ed
    
    Thanks for that info. I was working on Sunday and had no need to go since I had been on Friday and Saturday as I mentioned. I wonder why they waited until Sunday?
    - Anonymous
      
      Probably because that’s their busiest day.
  - Anonymous
    
    They were also giving away a ton of food samples (fruit, soup, chicken, antipasta, etc) on Sunday.
    
    I will say, the hot bar seemed to be almost all chicken? Fried chicken (wings, fingers, etc), baked chicken….maybe a little more variety will be good there?
- Anonymous
  
  they were also giving out aprons
- notlawd
  
  They were giving out $10 off coupons on Sunday. I didn’t get a reusable bag, but I already brought my own. I would take $10 off over another bag to clutter up my trunk any day.
Frankie James

Wonderful…. and it has a STARBUCKS, with tons of nice single serve items, I saw subs & hot breakfast items, buckets of chicken, beer & wine, wonderful fruit and veggies… some higher prices, some lower…

To all the neighboring businesses, crappy shops, casual restaurants, and including the Columbia Heights Giant – I would say the game it on!

Love it!!!
- Anonymous
  
  Wow! Where on earth would someone on that block have gotten coffee before the STARBUCKS?
  
  The game it on, indeed.
  - Anonymous
    
    Starbucks and Qualia, while seemingly competitors, really aren’t for a lot of customer base. I assume that hard core coffee aficionados will continue to go to Qualia. Those of us who rarely went there because we just like sugary coffee-like beverages (I’m looking at you, caramel macchiato) aren’t really a loss of customer base.
    - Anonymous
      
      There was a continuous line of people at the Starbucks on Saturday morning. Admit I was a little surprised. Qualia may have its work cut out. It’s a nice niche, but they do little to provide customers a reason to stay and enjoy multiple cups or coffee. No seats. Little food. They really need to expand. They don’t even have air conditioning do they???
      - Frankie James
        
        Starbucks are everywhere for a reason… Mini stations of not – both Saturday and Sunday there was a line and with those hours.
        
        Their fans will be there.
        
        Yes, the game is on.
    - notlawd
      
      Didn’t we debate this already. Jeez.
pru

Oh, and
- pru
  
  THEY HAVE CRONUTS!!
  In the bakery aisle. 4 FOR $5. 10 seconds in the microwave.
Kam

LOl! Come one now, you know there is no love for nostalgia here. This is the new DC where everything has to have a cool name with a lot of sizzle. You can’t just live uptown anymore.
- LongTimeRez
  
  Sizzling Safeway
Anonymous

I love this place already, went here Saturday afternoon around 3pm and it wasn’t crowded. The parking garage is very large, after feeling like I would be stuck in the 14th street Trader Joes parking lot for the rest of my life unable to get out, this parking garage is a blessing. The store is laid out very well, best part is it is right down the street from me, no more Harris Teeter trips anymore!
Anonymous

What happened to “Swift Safeway”? Isn’t that what they’re calling the building? I thought that the suggestion of speediness in the name might actually keep the checkers going at a good pace!
Anonymous

I hope YES survives. I’ll probably continue to shop there for most things, just because it’s manageable size and I can get in and out in 10 minutes flat.
- Anonymous
  
  I past by Yes! on Sat. and it was empty. They need to come down on prices. I’m done with them.
  - DeathToYes
    
    Good. They’re way overpriced. Maybe some competition will force them to price things reasonably. Or to fail completely and give up the real estate to a business that is better for the neighborhood.
- dcloafer
  
  Seriously, does Yes market stalk the internet for grocery-store related comment threads? I’d be shocked if an average citizen stood up to praise Yes market for anything but their decent beer selection.
  - Anonymous
    
    I’ve been going to Yes a few times a week in Safeway’s absence. There are a few products I will probably continue to go there for. Those are namely in the category of some niche organic frozen food products, bulk foods, beer (a more interesting collection than Safeway has right now), and beef. I really like the staff at Yes.
  - Anonymous
    
    dcloafer, that is quite narrow minded of you. What is an “average citizen” anyway? I will keep visiting Yes for their yogurt selection, their local milk and heavy cream offering, their bread. And omg the wine at Yes is great, while I counted about 6 bottles of French wine total at the as-stocked-as-it’ll-ever-get new Safeway.
  - Anonymous
    
    OP – no DCLoafer I’m not a Yes employee. I just appreciate friendly service, a well stocked beer/wine selection, good selection of bulk items including nuts and grains, a small but serviceable selection of humanely raised meats, interesting cheeses, etc. Should I go on? And frankly, I make enough money so that I never bother looking at my grocery bill. Is it expensive? Who knew.
lk

Everyone said that Safeway’s opening would be the sign of good things to come. I hope and trust that these assumptions are right. But…..well….what the hell on earth is happening with the Donatelli Building just next door? What can we do to get real tenants in that space? It’s time!
- Anonymous
  
  Park Place continues to be such a black mark on our neighborhood. It’s a brand new, beautiful building yet sits vacant. I have heard that Donnatellli is only excepting “chain” businesses. Apparently, even Sala Thai (bleh!) barely got in. What is the deal? It’s the best location in all of Petworth as it sits above the Metro and is within a half block of the Stroller Safeway and Chez Billy. Meanwhile, Donnatelli continues to collect free tax rebates from our tax dollars for letting it sit vacant! Mayor Gray, please do something to help us fill this development.
  - Anonymous
    
    “It’s the best location in all of Petworth as it sits above the Metro and is within a half block of the Stroller Safeway and Chez Billy.”
    .
    I think you answered your own question. They are holding out for a chain because they want to lock in a 10 year lease at an extremely high rent that only a chain can afford. Want to get it filled? Push all the city council members – excluding Bowser – to suspend the tax subsidy. It will be filled within a month.
    - Anonymous
      
      Exactly take away the very unnecessary tax subsidy which was corrupt from the get go and the spaces will be filled!
    - Anonymous
      
      Well their “chain” plan isn’t working… Other metro stops have locally owned businesses above them. Why not a gym? Bakery or Ice cream? Hell, any family friendly casual eatery. It’s BS. I think they MEDIA needs to pick up on this. Otherwise, Bowser will continue to protect Donnatelli.
      - Anonymous
        
        Trust me, I want it open as much as anyone (it’s a block from my house). But seriously, what media outlet do you think really cares about this? 4 or 5 open storefronts in a building that got a sweet tax deal. It doesn’t really scream front page of the Washington Post.
      - Anonymous
        
        Connect the dots between Donatelli, campaign contributions to Muriel Bowser (the front runner for mayor) and wasting tax payer dollars… I’d say you have a juicy story.
      - Anonymous
        
        Call Bob Woodward.
  - Chris in Eckington
    
    I think there was a post about this before; it’s not Donatelli that’s holding up the leasing of those spaces, it’s their out of town equity partners.
    - Thought
      
      Is the same true of DC USA?
  - notlawd
    
    We had this discussion already also. Anyway, I think this logic is flawed. If they really wanted one they should have been able to attract at least one chain in that space by now.
Anonymous

The other new Safeways in town bake surprisingly good bread. I love their baguettes.
- sproc
  
  So sad and jealous. I realize the Soviet Safeway really does a lot with a little space, but how hard could it be just to have a small selection of fresh bread and some other baked goods trucked across town??
  - austindc
    
    Sweet, I can actually answer that. I used to work at a bread bakery, and we opened a satellite store in another spot, but we did all the baking in the original space. To truck the bread across town, we had to first make enough bread to supply both locations. And if you want it fresh, you have to bake it all that day. In terms of staff time, it only made sense for us to send one truck over each day, so you have to have bread waiting in the truck until enough batches were baked to fill the truck and send it across town. We would drive across town, unload the truck, and then help stock the bread on the racks at the new location. We would begin baking at 4am, but the satellite store usually would not have the fresh stuff to sell until around 11 or 12. So not impossible, but it is way easier to bake onsite and just sell stuff as it comes out of the oven.
Ronald

Rave: Safeway Nickname Showdowns
dat

We went a couple of times this weekend and it was great! I really hope they keep it up with plentiful and friendly staff, plenty of open checkouts, and a well-maintained (and stocked) store.

In particular, we were very happy with their veggie selection and meat selections (if you’re looking for ground veal, lamb, or pork — they have it).

Did anyone notice if they have non-refrigerated beer somewhere, or is it all in the coolers? That’s one thing I didn’t see….
Anonymous

It is WAY improved from before. It’s actually nice. They really upped their produce game. There are lots of good things to say.

Some cons, though: It’s weirdly laid out (and the samples locations turn into bottlenecks all over the place), some of the product selection is weird (no store-brand whole-milk mozzarella?), it’s about 10-15% more expensive than Giant, the self-checkout is piss-poorly managed (no obvious line, often not staffed).
- dat
  
  I had a very helpful checker in the self-checkout line who volunteered to key in the number for several produce items I had for me so I didn’t have to dig through the alphabetical listing.
  
  Agreed re: produce. I hope they can keep it up and keep it stocked.
o2bncdg

Wow – look how WIDE those aisles are! No wonder all those strollers are able to navigate in the place. This city is becoming more wonderful every day.
Steve

I am not a big Safeway fan. Will this Safeway be a 24 hour store like the Georgetown Safeway? Safeway doesn’t give a 5 cents credit for bringing your own reusable bags like Giant and Whole Foods.
- Ed
  
  I received a credit for each of my reusable bags the two times I went to Safeway this weekend.
- Anonymous
  
  5am to midnight. Close enough as far as I’m concerned.
  - Anonymous
    
    I’ve heard once the condos are done, they will be open 24 hours. I hope not. That would NOT be welcome. I already noticed the outdoor patio area becoming a hang out for people to loiter. I would have complained to the security guard, but he was hanging out with them! The groups also included a store employee in uniform. They were smoking and spitting all over the sidewalk (gross!). This was about at 10pm on Friday. There were also about 7 women sitting on the wall of the patio, all with six packs? I hope the Manager enforces a no-loitering policy and keeps this area clear for those up to no good.
    - Anonymous
      
      Six pack spitter Safeway?
    - power of flight
      
      “I already noticed the outdoor patio area becoming a hang out for people to loiter.”
      
      ???
Thought

Stroller Safeway it is!

The Giant in Columbia Heights better look out… there is a new game in town!

Went there twice this weekend. As a person that hates grocery shopping, this store is actually really nice. I would say even nicer than a Whole Foods. And they had Copper River salmon. Now that is classy.
- Anonymous
  
  It’s brand new, give it time. I think your nicer that whole foods statement is a bit delusional
tmj

I don’t understand the nicknames. Is it just a DC thing?
- Anonymous
  
  It was, like ten years ago when there were no good full-service grocery stores in DC at all, but as PoP said, it’s more or less a thing of the past.
  - saf
    
    It has been a thing for longer than that. I remember the Social Safeway, the Secret Safeway, the Soviet Safeway, the Senior Safeway from when I was an undergrad. And yes, that was the early 80s.
    - Anonymous
      
      True, but ten years ago there was even a Web site with a map that explained all the names.
      - saf
        
        Yeah. We didn’t have websites 30 years ago.
- dno
  
  If it is a thing of the past, I suspect it’s only because a larger percentage of the population is now shopping somewhere other than Safeway because alternatives now abound. The only thing I liked about the Safeways when I moved here 10 years ago was the naming. I used to chuckle to myself when a friend who lived near it used to casually say, “I gotta run by the unSafeway to pick up some beer.”
  - Anonymous
    
    You just proved that you didn’t live here 10 years ago…since the old Safeway didn’t sell beer.
    - Stavros
      
      The one off Kentucky Ave. on the Hill? Yeah, it did.
    - Anonymous
      
      20 years ago, no. 10 years ago, things changed.
timmyp

I was going to say crying baby safeway because there were a million of them but I guess stroller safeway is a nicer way to put it.
Wobber

I wish they had lined the registers on the Georgia Ave wall, like Whole Foods, and put the Starbucks on the other side with access to the patio. The widows on Georgia Ave are half covered and make the store darker than it should be. The current layout creates a less than ideal flow too. After checkout you have to walk through a produce section… weird.
- Anonymous
  
  I think that argument makes sense. Oh well – too late now :)
  
  The layout for checkout makes a lot more sense for folks who are driving – it dumps you right into the stairs/elevator to the parking garage.
- saf
  
  The designs they showed to the neighborhood when they were looking for a PUD had the Starbucks opening up to the patio. Bait and switch,
  - Anonymous
    
    I remember seeing those plans too. I would have much preferred that the seating area on Randolph was a few tables/umbrellas affiliated with Starbucks. It would give it much more of a sense of purpose than what they’ve put there now (which will mostly be a loiter magnet). Oh well.
    - Anonymous
      
      +1
      - Anonymous
        
        Loitering in this area is already a problem. Especially at night… Not very smart design by store management.
CPT_Doom

Clearly anything would have been an improvement over the old Stinky version, but I was very impressed with the new place when I stopped by on Sunday. I hope it stays that nice. I was able to find everything pretty quickly (fast enough to catch a bus that was due to arrive only 10 minutes after I walked in the store), though I was surprised they had all the non-food stuff right next to the produce (I always thought you wanted to keep all smelly detergent stuff away from the produce).

I’m totally thrilled this finally opened. I have missed having the ability to just pop in the store on my way back from work, and having to actually head to the 5th and L or the Piney Branch stores was a pain in the you-know-what.
20011

Best part about the new Safeway? I walked into Giant at 5 pm Sunday. It was EMPTY!!!!
Anonymous

Went at noon on my lunch break for opening day. People were falling all over themselves to help me and everyone else in their. The Safeway DM chatted me up and said they’ll be having some huge sales in a few weeks as this was just a slow opening… I enjoyed the free samples and so glad not to be relegated to champion of mediocrity Van Ness Giant.
Anonymous

Love the Stroller Safeway. It’s perfect. I also like Swanky Safeway. I have visited several times and am very impressed. I am glad they have some upscale items. I especially like the organic and gluten free section, but believe it could be expanded. Everything that I have gotten from the bakery has been amazing. The butcher and deli counter leave a bit to be desired. They could some better cuts of meats (steak). I was a bit disappointed with their “local” beer section. Where is the DC Brau? Chocolate City?? The only local-ish beer I saw was Port City. The main thing that bothered me were some of the employees. It wasn’t that they didn’t know where stuff was at. That’s to be expected. I saw many employees just hanging out and talking. I even saw some employees reading magazines or greeting cards and blocking customers from accessing them. I’m sure they will “weed out” the problem employees, but hope they do so soon.
- CHGal
  
  Chocolate City isn’t bottled or canned, so without a growler station, it’s not available for retail.
Anonymous

I just went to the new Giant in Shaw on Saturday for the first. That blows away any other grocery store I’ve seen in DC, including this new Safeway. Holy crap.
- saf
  
  I really like that store.
- Oh_Sweet_Thing
  
  Yes, that Giant is gorgeous, but, let’s have the Petworthians (?) have their day :-P
petworthgardener

As a stroller-toting Petworther, I think the new nickname is perfect. I also LOVE this place.

On Saturday, I could have had two meals with all the food that they sampled! I even got samples of deli meat from behind the counter. Just look interested in something, and chances are you’ll get a sample. An employee mentioned that they’re doing the sample stands for a month.
Anonymous

1) Safeway nicknames need to be a thing of the past.
.
2) Went in to the new Safeway for 2 items on Saturday night. They were out of one, and the other I didn’t get because of long lines at all the registers and there were no express lanes or self-checkouts open. Not impressed.
Andrew

Anyone else notice that it seems to be a bit more expensive than Giant? I don’t remember that being the case with the old Safeway.
- Anonymous
  
  It’s definitely significantly more expensive than Giant.
recon::decon

I wish they would do a remodel of the Safeway at Connecticut and McKinley up at Chevy Chase Circle – despite being within walking distance, I usually end up going out of way to go Giant at FH or Bethesda or Whole Foods in Tenley or FH or across the street to Magruders for produce (which I would probably do anyway).

Actually, if they could have more than 2 cashiers at any given time of the day that alone be helpful.
- anonymous
  
  Safeway’s recent m.o., at least for the stores in the city, seems to be replacing existing stores with new upgraded stores that have a residential component on top. Query whether that neighborhood would go for a new large residential building being added to the mix. I suspect there would be some strong opposition.
  - textdoc
    
    They renovated the Adams Morgan Safeway (on Columbia Road) without tearing the existing building down and adding apartments on top, so maybe that would be a possibility for the Connecticut/McKinley one.
    .
    Wasn’t the Piney Branch Safeway also renovated in a similar fashion?
J.Page

I say call it “Sanitary Safeway” as a nod to just how damn awful the old one was
- Thought
  
  Stand down, J.Page. The Prince of Petworth has deemed this Stroller Safeway. And this is a good thing. And having been there, it is a surprisingly accurate name. Let word go out to all the land!
  
  With Redfin declaring last week that Petworth is the hottest area in the U.S. for house flipping I suspect we are going to see even more strollers. And this is also a good thing.
- saf
  
  Many years ago, there was a local chain called “Sanitary Stores.” Safeway bought them out.
SweetEpiphany

I lived on Randolph Street and 13th up until the end of 2013, so I went to this Safeway pretty often since it was the closest. Half the time they never had what I wanted and the cashiers had bad attitudes. Oh, the memories…

Anyway, I am elated that they’ve finally completed the renovation. This is a huge win for the folks that own in the neighborhood. I feel sorry for the renters who are probably gonna be priced out of this area soon. There are a lot of low income people in that neighborhood and a few of those apartments are rent controlled, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple years. Yay for Petworth!
- Anonymous
  
  I actually would 100% disagree about the cashiers attitudes. Yeah, they may have been a little more “social” than some other stores, but they were all extremely friendly. It’s a different kind of friendly than a “Good afternoon, sir, I hope you had a pleasant shopping experience!”….it’s more like “Hey sweetheart, is this taco seasoning good? I’m looking for one to make tonight.” Honestly, the staff was the thing I liked most about the old safeway (second only to its location).
  - SweetEpiphany
    
    Well, anonymous 2:30, I’m glad you had better experiences with the former staff than I did. For some reason I always got stuck with people who were more interested in their conversations with each other than they were with helping shoppers. And then they’d catch an attitude if you interrupted their conversation with a question. I hope in the new Safeway customers won’t have to listen to stories about broke baby daddies, while waiting on line. That would be a nice touch. lol.
    - Anonymous
      
      Oooh, we’re getting closer to unveiling the racist remark. It’s still a little wrapped up in there, but more obvious than in the previous one.
- Anonymous
  
  What I remember from the old Safeway was that it had the highest incidence I’d ever seen anywhere of “sing along to the elevator music while you push your shopping cart”, which was surreal and funny.
  - binpetworth
    
    Guilty as charged :)
Anonymous

It really makes the crappy Wendy’s stand out next door… They need to clean that restaurant up and the property as a whole. Best case? Tear it down.
- Jordan
  
  The Wendy’s STAYS. Hard enough to even find a Wendy’s in NW all these vegan yuppies wanna tear them down and put up a Chop’t or some ol nasty rabbit food place. Fall back son.
  - Anonymous
    
    Ummmm….
  - saf
    
    I want something that doesn’t result in cars idling all over the place and fast food trash thrown all over my street.
    .
    That said, sadly, the Wendy’s will stay. They have a long lease.
    - PetworthAdam
      
      “Idling all over the place.” Are you referring to the one or maybe two cars that sometimes wait right in front of the store (inside the parking lot area) for the spicy nuggets (which are always cooked fresh)? AAAAANNNNDDD… Wendy’s doesn’t throw trash all over the neighborhood and getting rid of it would not result in less trash. If there were chez billy paper bags in the streets would that be a bad place?
      - saf
        
        Yes, it would. Trash is bad. Fast food places generate a lot of trash, and a surprising amount of litter.
    - Anonymous
      
      Does anyone have the exact data on their lease? I’ve heard “a long one,” but never anything more. I take it that this is not part of any public record?
      - saf
        
        At an ANC meeting a number of years ago, Jair Lynch was presenting about the building they wanted to build (the one next to the Wendy’s). He said that they had attempted to buy that parcel but the Wendy’s had a 99 year lease and was not interested in moving.
        .
        As I said, I think in RRRR yesterday, that Wendy’s has been there since before we moved into the neighborhood in 1990, so they are probably down to 75 years now.
      - Anonymous
        
        For those interested, I reached out to the Regional Director for Wendy’s Corporate office and received this response. “The short answer is yes we do have renovation plans for the interior, exterior, and landscaping. We are in the process of seeking permits for a number of restaurants in the District, and PG and Montgomery Counties. We are hopeful that work can begin in the short term, but I’m sure you probably understand the permitting process. We have been operating since November of 1983, at this location, and hope to remain and trusted option for quality food. I’m sure that you will find our improved look fitting with the surroundings.”
  - PetworthAdam
    
    +1. Never had a problem at Wendy’s. The baconator has actually been scientifically proven to cure hangovers. Wendy’s is usually clean except the carpet, which is hard to keep clean in a place like that and probably shouldn’t have been installed in the first place. I was surprised that someone got robbed INSIDE the restaurant a few months back though. I do like Chop’t too… that cobb salad.
  - Anonymous
    
    it’s nice the way you let us laugh at you.
  - Oh_Sweet_Thing
    
    Great post, two thumbs up, would read again.
vv

I’m going to call it the Six-Pack Safeway, because, despite the joke that is their “Local Beers” section, they actually have a really solid selection of six packs—better so than any of the other decent selections in the neighborhood (I love YES, but growing weary of their selection). Just picked up a couple of amazing Heavy Seas varieties that I’ve never tried or seen before, and they are stellar (the Small Craft Warning Uber Pils and Riptide White IPA if you’re curious).
- Anonymous
  
  I found their variety of beer pretty pedestrian aside from a few. I was hoping for some more obscure varieties. Beggars can’t be choosers though. I LOVE the Safeway! Do they really need 3-Packs of Tall Boy Bud & Bud Lite though??!
M Khoo

Compiling all the Safeway nicknames, because I’m old and it was one of the fist cute community things I discovered here in 2001. Here’s a good but incomplete list: http://www.tbd.com/articles/2011/04/safeway-nicknames-separating-truth-from-fiction-57981.html
Please add:

Soviet Safeway (17th & Corcoran),
Senorita/Salsa/Spanish/Sandinista Safeway (Colombia & 18th)
Secret Safeway (was 20th & S) alternately Wisconsin & 42nd (which is alternately called Suburban Safeway)
Social Safeway (Wisconsin & 34th),
Stinky/Sixties, now Stroller Safeway (Georgia and Rudolph).
Sexy Safeway/short-staffed Safeway (L & 5th NW)
Senior Safeway, 2550 Virginia Ave. NW in the Watergate
Southwest Safeway, 1100 4th St. SW
“Un” Safeway, 415 14th St. SE

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