grocery stores

Ellwood Thompson’s Grocery Store Update

By Prince Of Petworth

A few readers have been asking for an update on the status of the Ellwood Thompson’s arrival to the DC USA mall in Columbia Heights. I’m happy to report that a source has alerted me to the fact that their permits have officially been submitted to the DC government. So this is a step in the right direction. However, my other sources tell me that there is still a long road ahead before the store opens its doors. Sadly I don’t have a timeline but I promise to keep updating as developments are made. If I had to guess I would think an arrival in 2011 is more likely than a 2010 arrival. Perhaps a new sign is in order… But overall I think this is good news because it is some tangible evidence to show us that the deal is not dead.

You can read a previous statement from the owner of Ellwood Thompson’s here.

New DC-Focused Report: When Healthy Food is Out of Reach

By Prince Of Petworth

From an email:

I’m writing to pass along some information on a report released this week by D.C. Hunger Solutions called When Healthy Food is Out of Reach. The report found a wide discrepancy among the District’s neighborhoods in terms of availability of healthy food. Here are some of the key findings:

* The ratio of full-service grocery stores to residents varies widely among the District’s wards. Ward 3 has five times as many full-service grocers per capita as Ward 4.
* On average, residents of Wards 4, 5, and 7 must travel longer distances than residents in other wards to reach the closest full-service grocery store.
* The District loses more than $112 million in annual grocery revenues to neighboring jurisdictions because existing grocery retail is insufficient to meet residents’ demand.
* Some areas of the District—particularly in Wards 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8—are underserved by full-service grocery retail, compared to other areas. (The recent closure of one of Ward 5’s three full-service grocery stores has compounded the problem.)

For those that live in Wards 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (and all folks for that matter) do you feel that you are underserved by full-service grocery stores?

As a Ward 4 resident I am very happy with the new Yes! Organic Market at Taylor and Georgia. But when I want a “regular” grocery store I walk all the way to the Giant in Columbia Heights (with my awesome granny cart) instead of using the less than appealing Safeway at Georgia and Quincy. Hopefully I’ll have an update on the future of that store in the next week or so.

You can read the press release here:  http://www.dchunger.org/press/grocery_gap.htm

And you can download the full report here: http://www.dchunger.org/pdf/grocerygap.pdf

Arts District Hyattsville Getting a Yes! Organic Market and a Busboys & Poets

By Prince Of Petworth


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From a press release:

“Local developer EYA and retail consultant/developer Streetsense partner to welcome Yes! Organic Market as the newest tenant set to occupy retail space at Arts District Hyattsville, the 25-acre mixed-use development emerging along historic Route 1 in downtown Hyattsville. This will be the eighth planned retail location in the metropolitan area for Yes!. The “living naturally” food store chain offers a refreshing mix of natural and organic groceries, health supplements, and eco-friendly household items.

Preliminary land development work has already begun for the new 36,000 s.f. retail town center at Arts District Hyattsville and construction is scheduled for completion late 2010. Yes! Organic Market, along with other retailers, are expected to be open for sales in Spring 2011.”

Yes! Organic will join Busboys and Poets and Tara Thai who have already signed onto the project. You can learn more about the project here.

Anyone Know What Happened at the CH Giant Last Night?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo from PoPville flickr user rosiedawn

A reader writes:

“Last night around 6:30pm, the CH Giant was evacuated due to some fire alarms. Carts and baskets left strewn throughout the store. Fire Trucks came and left. I waited at Sticky Fingers for sanity to resume then moseyed back on over. I was told the store was closed due to malfunctioning sprinkler system and “too bad”. So I got my parking receipt stamped and left, sans the groceries I had spent nearly an hour collecting and then waiting to pay for in astronomical lines. On my way out of the garage I notice that all of a sudden folks are going back in to shop. This was almost immediately after a police officer and store employee told me they were closed down by the fire department. What the heck happened here?”

Anyone experience this as well?

Dear PoP – Props to Petworth Safeway

By Prince Of Petworth

It’s not often I get emailed props for the Petworth Safeway, in fact this may be the first one, glad to hear it!

“Dear PoP,

I was at the Petworth Safeway (3830 Georgia Avenue) last night around 8:30 PM. While waiting in line, a checkout clerk opened up the register next to mine and called me over to his register. As I was coming around, someone else rushed in front of me, even though I only had one item. As I was allowing the annoyance to settle in and decide what to do, the clerk reached back to me and told the other person that he had asked me to come to his register and that I was first. The other person was pretty rude, but the clerk kept his composure despite offensive comments from the first person, and just told him, politely, that I was there first and he would take care of him in a minute.

What the clerk didn’t know, is that I was buying hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting in my dog at the advice of ASPCA poison control. He had eaten onions, and in fact it was very important for me to get home as soon as possible. (Many people don’t know this but onions are extremely toxic to dogs, more so than chocolate, and even a small amount can cause great harm).

I didn’t get the clerk’s name but he is a middle-aged thin black man with a mustache, I’ve seen him there before, and I just wanted to recognize his professional behavior which stands out in a world where I’ve gotten used to often apathetic and sometimes downright rude behavior from checkout clerks.”

Dear PoP – What to do When Express Line is Violated?

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

Last night, I went grocery shopping at the new and extremely busy Safeway at the City Vista condo building. Having only 8 items, I went to a checkout line labeled “Express 15 Items or Less”. As the couple in front of me started putting their items on the conveyor belt, I noticed they had a lot more than 15 items. I estimated 25 items. So my question is: At this point, since they have already waited and are the next in line and already loading stuff up to be checked out, do you mention that this is the Express lane? I just went to another line, but was rather disgusted.”

Ah, this is one of the small but very frustrating aspects of life. I think we’ve all probably encountered this at one point. I know I never say anything, because I think it’s just not worth it. I wish the cashier would see the violation before the offender puts all his/her items on the conveyor belt. But that’s not very realistic. I think this is a situation where some folks are just inconsiderate and it is easiest to just wait. But I can understand that if you don’t say anything the offender is likely to continue his/her behavior in the future. On the flip side, I was at the Giant on Park Road the other day and I only had some milk and a very nice customer let me go ahead of her. So it may all even out at the end of the day…

Has anyone ever mentioned to a shopper that they have more than 15 (or whatever the number is) items in an express lane?

Ellwood Thompson’s Update – Mayor Fenty at NCHCA Meeting Tonight

By Prince Of Petworth

We’ve been following the development of Ellwood Thompson’s status in opening a new store in DCUSA in Columbia Heights. Following is the latest word. If you’d like to see them make the move make sure you let Fenty know.

From an email:

“Ellwood Thompson’s will be appealing to Mayor Fenty for funds to begin construction at DCUSA. The Mayor will be at Tubman Elem School tonight (Wed) for a forum to include discussion of “commercial development” starting at 7pm at the meeting of the North Columbia Heights Civic Association. He also can be contacted through dcgov.org under “contact the Mayor”.”

“North Columbia Heights Civic Association Presents:

Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 P.M. at the Harriet Tubman Elementary School (Irving and 13th St. NW)

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS COMMUNITY FORUM WITH MAYOR ADRIAN FENTY

For more details, and more information on NCHCA: http://northcolumbiaheights.googlepages.com/”

CM Jim Graham Supporting Ellwood Thompson’s With a Council Bill

By Prince Of Petworth

We’ve been having lots of discussions on Elwood Thompson’s lately. Looks like things are moving along nicely. Here’s another positive development, from an email:

“Dear Friends:

I am glad to report that yesterday I introduced and the Council passed legislation to help an organic market to locate in the DCUSA retail center . This bill will ensure that Ellwood Thompson’s — a full-service, organic, natural and sustainable food store — will receive tax relief benefits that are available to every qualified supermarket in DC.

Ellwood Thompson’s is dedicated to high-quality products, supporting local farmers and the community. It signed a lease with DC USA Operating Co., LLC for space in the DC USA Shopping Center in Ward 1. The construction of their supermarket space was delayed due to the downturn in the economy. The is the second time the council passed this bill. The earlier measure was about to expire, and so this action was necessary. the legal action pertained to the fact that–unlike many supermarkets–this one is not free standing and is part of, and within, an existing development. So some technical changes were needed.

I am told that the plans for this supermarket are again underway. Our latest report is that Ellwood Thompson’s has submitted construction diagrams to the developer and they are awaiting approval.

With the passage of this bill, the Council is again doing all it can to make this happen.

Bests, Councilmember Jim Graham”

H Street, NE May Get a Full Service Grocery Store

By Prince Of Petworth


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DC Mud has the scoop:

“The H Street corridor may soon have a new 6-story apartment building and full service grocery store, a boon for the up-and-coming neighborhood in northeast Washington DC. Steuart Investment Company has owned several of the lots on the northeast corner of 3rd and H Streets, and in 2005 assembled a developable site by acquiring the remaining portion from BP AMOCO (BP) for $1.5 million, scotching BP’s plans for a giant filling station and truck depot.”

But what I also found interesting and worth exploring was a comment left by IMGoph who asks:

“i seriously do not understand why trader joe’s doesn’t expand in the city. they are making money hand over fist in that store in the west end.”

I think it’s a great question. If Trader Joe’s is doing so well in the west end – why don’t they expand to other neighborhoods in the city?

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