Sharmaal Member Username: Sharmaal
Post Number: 1355 Registered: 09-2004
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 2:41 pm: | |
I don't know any details. It apparently opened yesterday. |
Rsa Member Username: Rsa
Post Number: 1547 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 3:34 pm: | |
i got your back sharmaal. neighborhood group fan-out email i received:
quote:The Downtown Foodland officially opened yesterday morning at 11 a.m. and looks really good. The owner seems quite excited about the opening and said ads would be coming out next week. They are not fully stocked yet but have a great start. They have a small deli of cold salads and cold cuts, but will be having hot entrees fairly soon. Please pass the word along to the rest of LP-50 as I am sure the owner will appreciate our business as he has spent a great deal of time and sweat on getting it open. |
Gencinjay Member Username: Gencinjay
Post Number: 45 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 3:37 pm: | |
What's the location? |
Downtown_lady Member Username: Downtown_lady
Post Number: 220 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 3:40 pm: | |
On Lafayette one block west of St. Aubin, in the strip mall in front of Lafayette Towers. |
Detroitstar Member Username: Detroitstar
Post Number: 1342 Registered: 01-2006
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 3:57 pm: | |
I have driven by a couple times in the last week and checked things out through the windows. They did a great job with this space! I am excited to stop in and check things out tomorrow. |
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni
Post Number: 1140 Registered: 05-2007
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 4:21 pm: | |
Owned by the Hobbs? |
Neilr Member Username: Neilr
Post Number: 799 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 4:25 pm: | |
I shopped there today. While the store is yet to be fully stocked, it's clear to me that it is a welcome addition to my food-shopping options. It's brightly lit, the aisles are wide, and the item offerings, while somewhat limited, seemingly will be more "everyday" and down to earth than Zaccarro's, for example. The check-out clerk greeted me and was very pleasant. I hope they have an effective plan for preventing the loss of their shopping carts. |
Urban_shocker Member Username: Urban_shocker
Post Number: 283 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 9:17 pm: | |
Felt to me like shopping at Save-A-Lot, and they're gonna have to do a lot more than finish stocking the shelves to change that. |
Downtown_lady Member Username: Downtown_lady
Post Number: 221 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 10:11 am: | |
I shopped there yesterday and I thought it was great. It feels very much like Harbortown Market, but brighter and cleaner, with wider aisles. As Neil mentioned, quite the opposite of Zaccarro's -- while Zaccarro's has gourmet and specialty items, this is just your basic neighborhood grocery store, with staple items (although nowhere near the selection that Kroger has, for instance). This will most assuredly not be a destination location, but will be a great addition to the neighborhood and very handy for those that live and work downtown. Even if it feels like a Save-a-Lot, that is a great improvement over what was there (empty space). |
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner
Post Number: 1875 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 10:36 am: | |
Places like this are needed in the central city. The phenomena that has hit middle to lower income central areas is known as 'food desert', that is with the shift to super stores such as Meijers and Super Walmart, there is not much opportunity for these stores to be competitive, thus making central city locations rely more on crappy foods sold at either fast food or conveience store locations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F ood_desert The food desert concept is also a problem in rural america. For every Super store that goes up, several smaller groceries close down, making it more difficult for particularly the poor to afford even a trip to a grocery that may stock a wide variety of nutritious food items. |
Urban_shocker Member Username: Urban_shocker
Post Number: 284 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 11:48 am: | |
This area is not a food desert. Put it on Fenkell and Lahser or Harper and Van Dyke and it would help solve a problem. |
W_chicago Member Username: W_chicago
Post Number: 52 Registered: 01-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 12:15 pm: | |
"Downtown" foodland IS NOT in downtown. I repeat: it is NOT in downtown! It is in Lafayette Park --- A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD. |
Downtown_lady Member Username: Downtown_lady
Post Number: 223 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 12:25 pm: | |
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE DISTINCTION. I repeat: THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE DISTINCTION. My post above with the location indicates that it is in Lafayette Park (especially the part where it says that the store is in front of Lafayette Towers). That said, it is still convenient for those that live and work downtown. Further, for all intents and purposes Lafayette Park is considered part of downtown, just not part of the central business district. Now having said all that, why does this upset you so? |
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner
Post Number: 1878 Registered: 04-2006
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 1:46 pm: | |
Urban Shocker, I would agree that there are areas that are more underserved than this one, however this area does have a fair amount of density to its population and should have more than just Harbortown and Eastern Market. Not everyone can afford Zaccaro's and while Z's serves a great purpose, it serves an entirely different area in terms of geography and economic strata. For example, I walked into this place to buy some groceries and could not bring myself to do so because everything was way too top shelf. I was looking for something simple: noodles, tomato sauce, and garlic bread. I left disappointed. |
Django Member Username: Django
Post Number: 1860 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 2:05 pm: | |
LOL i repeat LOL |
Bobby08 Member Username: Bobby08
Post Number: 12 Registered: 09-2008
| Posted on Monday, September 29, 2008 - 1:40 pm: | |
This store is more expensive than harbortown market, I went there a few weeks ago and they had a beef brisket priced at $40!!! Too overpriced for me, yet I will support it but only via emergency food such as milk or eggs! Other than that, I will stick to Harbortown and Trader Joes |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 3647 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Monday, September 29, 2008 - 2:36 pm: | |
^$40 for a Corned Beef? That's outrageous, even for Whole Foods standard! It's exactly why I hate shopping at local markets (particularly in Detroit). (Message edited by DetroitRise on September 29, 2008) |
Bobby08 Member Username: Bobby08
Post Number: 13 Registered: 09-2008
| Posted on Monday, September 29, 2008 - 3:15 pm: | |
^$40 for a Corned Beef? That's outrageous, even for Whole Foods standard! As a matter of fact I was at Wholefoods on say and they had brisket for $5.79 a lb!!!!! |