“Safeway returns to Capitol Hill with new state-of-the-art store, opening August 12”

415 14th Street, SE. Friday July 31

Ed. Note: The old Safeway closed here in 2018.

From a press release:

“First brand-new Safeway to open in D.C. since Petworth store opened in 2014

Safeway will proudly open its striking new Capitol Hill store (at 415 14th Street SE in Washington, D.C.) on Wednesday, August 12 at 6 a.m. The new store, developed by Safeway and Foulger-Pratt, measures 60,236 square feet and serves as the anchor for the mixed-use project called Beckert’s Park, which includes additional retail space and 325 residential units.

The Capitol Hill Safeway’s grand opening will kick-off of an exciting month of celebrations as renovations will be unveiled during August at four other area Safeway stores (two more in the District of Columbia, one in Silver Spring, MD, and one in Arlington, VA).

“We are delighted to grand open our beautiful new Capitol Hill grocery store, on the same site where our previous store stood until two years ago,” said Tom Lofland, President of Safeway’s Eastern Division. “This conveniently located neighborhood store will offer many unique features and products. Customers will be sure to enjoy the beautiful, modern design and the wide selection of products, including organic, natural, and healthy goods across all departments. We know the Capitol Hill Safeway will be a wonderful addition to the community.”

The Store Director will be Matthew Frye, who until recently managed Safeway’s Southwest Waterfront location in D.C. Matt will oversee a team of 350 employees.

The Safeway deli will include new features such as poutine, a BBQ sandwich bar, a sushi bar, poke bowls, a specialty cheese shop, charcuterie, and an increased selection of grab-and-go packaged meal options. The new store will also have an on-site catering department offering an assortment of trays for parties, dinner, and dessert needs.

The Capitol Hill store’s meat department will offer dry-aged beef and will allow customers to place advance orders for dry-aged choice beef ribeye or New York strip steaks, aged from 21 to 42 days. The department will also offer a wide selection of organic, grass-fed, natural, and choice grade beef items. The poultry case will feature a large selection of organic, natural, and antibiotic-free chicken. The full-service meat case will offer custom-cutting services provided by skilled Safeway butchers.

The Safeway seafood department will feature a raw oyster bar with a selection of nine local oysters, such as the roaring point, blackberry and Chincoteague, with a variety of flavors and salinity levels. The 36-foot seafood service case will offer a large variety of seafood, including natural, fresh, smoked, and local items.

The brand-new produce department will showcase a wide variety of organic produce, as well as an expanded selection of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. The assortment of premium juice and beverages will include Kombucha, and fresh-squeezed juices. Safeway will also add ethnic produce from around the world, as well as local salads and produce.

The Capitol Hill store’s bakery department will offer several unique features, including a Nuts on Clark popcorn shop that carries the iconic Chicago shop’s favorite flavors, plus a new Old Bay recipe. A full offering of baked-in-store breakfast and dessert items will include handmade filled croissants and fresh fruit Danish, store made-from-scratch artisan breads, monkey bread, and pudding ring cups, as well as hand-dipped and decorated caramel apples. Premium gelato will be offered in 24 different flavors, served in cups, cones, or as a cookie sandwich. The bakery will also offer Mochi desserts featuring four cookie dough flavors.

The fragrant new full-service floral department will offer a wide array of fresh-cut flowers and fresh roses, DIY cut bunches, and beautiful mixed bouquets, as well as assorted seasonal blooming plants, foliage, and orchids. If one doesn’t see the perfect item on the shelves, Safeway’s in-house floral designers will create custom arrangements. The Capitol Hill store’s floral department will also provide both FTD and local delivery.

The Capitol Hill Safeway will be the only grocery store in the District of Columbia to offer one-stop shopping for wine, beer, and spirits. In addition to offering the company’s largest wine and beer (including craft beers) selection in the region, the store’s alcohol department will feature a separate spirits room featuring an assortment of liquors and a glass-enclosed walk-in wine cellar.

The new Safeway pharmacy will have prescription delivery service available and will operate seven days a week. A variety of immunizations will be offered, as well as flu shots and clinics. In addition to HIV care and prevention, including PrEP and PEP, specialty pharmacy services will focus on disease state coaching and counseling. The Capitol Safeway pharmacy hours will be: Mon-Fri, 8 am-8 pm; Sat, 9 am-6 pm, and Sun, 10 am-5 pm.

Safeway’s Capitol Hill store will feature more than 3,700 new items, added to the everyday selection. Additionally, the store will offer hundreds of new specialty items across grocery, dairy, and frozen foods, with an emphasis on natural, organic, specialty, healthy, and ethnic products. The store will also have an expanded variety of natural, organic, and specialty home health and beauty items, and increased space for seasonal merchandise.

The store will feature café seating next to the deli, next to the Starbucks coffee bar, and sidewalk seating will be available outside the store.

Traditional Safeway features will include a pharmacy and a customer service desk. The new store will have five manned check stands and 12 self-checkout counters. The store will also offer D.C. Lottery tickets, money orders, Western Union services, a key maker, a Coinstar machine, and a Redbox machine.

The Capitol Hill Safeway will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Beer, wine, and spirits will be sold from 7 am to Midnight.

The store will offer busy shoppers time-saving amenities including delivery and Drive-up-and-Go services, as well as Instacart RUSH delivery service. The pedestrian-friendly store will offer below-grade parking, with racks provided for bicycles.

The store is conveniently located close to the Potomac Avenue SE Metro Station, as well as multiple Metrobus lines.

Safeway, with strong roots in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, has a long and proud history of being a supportive member of the communities it serves. As part of the ribbon-cutting celebration, Safeway, furthering its legacy of philanthropy and community involvement, will present donations to three local organizations: The Hill Center, the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and the D.C. Ward 6 Mutual Aid Network.”