Stopped in today to do my grocery shopping.

IMO it's a lot nicer than the Edmond store. It's very brightly colored and the ceiling is WHITE which really lights up the store. It really boosts your mood when your shopping in a well lit store.

The produce was impressive. It reminded me a lot of Whole Foods and everything was surprisingly affordable. They also have a salad bar area similar to Whole Foods.

I didn't walk around the bakery, sushi, or pizza oven area so someone else will have to review that.

Grocery area was like any other grocery store.

I think I will definitely be doing my grocery shopping here from now on.

We popped in as well today. It is probably one of the nicest grocery stores I've set foot in. However, I actually felt it was a little over priced. Was trying to compare a lot of things to other places we shop, and we felt overall, things were higher or extremely higher. One exception was their fresh prime steaks. Seemed to be pretty reasonable at $16-$18 per lb. Was for the most part out of our price range, so we'll probably stick with our Sprouts, Target, and Buy 4 Less rotation.

I visited Uptown Grocery on opening day. It will definitely pull in shoppers who frequently trade with Whole Foods, Sprouts, Homeland and the NW Expy B4L. I know my retired parents, who live relatively close by, will enjoy stopping by and picking up a prepared meal from the buffet. I counted at least 7 ready-to-eat soup/stew/chili/chowder options in the Deli. The interior decor and lighting is better than the Edmond location. I was impressed that the shelving in the Health & Beauty area was illuminated with LED lighting. They even have a small selection of craft beers.

Went in this AM and took tons of pics which you can see here:

OKCTalk - Beautiful Uptown Grocery opens in the Village (http://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=244-Beautiful-Uptown-Grocery-opens-in-the-Village)

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/uptown020516b.jpg


This place is *gorgeous*; probably the nicest grocery store I've seen.

I think it's considerably nicer than the Edmond location; certainly brighter and seems to have many more prepared food options.

Also, I like the layout much better. In Edmond, the first time I went in I didn't even see the big atrium as you come in right in the more traditional section.

Here, you enter right into the vast open space, which has this cool second-level seating area and is just plain beautiful. There is also a separate checkout and east entrance for those that want to come and go directly in this area, rather than the main checkout stations at the front (south) end of the store.

Also, the aisles seem to be bigger than in Edmond with a better selection and just more space in general.

Here is one example: I had posted about the best place to find good mixers. Urbanized directed me to this place on I-35 which had pretty much what I was looking for. But at this Uptown store, they had all the same mixers plus a fair bit more.


I would *kill* to have one of these downtown.

Another photo from their Facebook page from their grand opening:

https://scontent-dfw1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/v/t1.0-9/12688189_868909559890483_870431097545880928_n.jpg? oh=301afdb742817fe9e15609343df3bb7e&oe=576F4530

I went by at about 7 to try and get some coffee but the east doors were locked and they didn't appear to be open for business yet. Sign said they opened at 6AM, so I'm hoping it's just a wonky first-week schedule. I walked through the store yesterday, and I am very happy to have it 3 blocks away. Prices aren't much better than our Homeland, but it's far more convenient with far more amenities.

I went by at about 7 to try and get some coffee but the east doors were locked and they didn't appear to be open for business yet. Sign said they opened at 6AM, so I'm hoping it's just a wonky first-week schedule. I walked through the store yesterday, and I am very happy to have it 3 blocks away. Prices aren't much better than our Homeland, but it's far more convenient with far more amenities.

I went in right at 6AM this morning but entered through the main, south entrance.

Coffee place was open.

I went in right at 6AM this morning but entered through the main, south entrance.

Coffee place was open.

Well shoot. I didn't want to embarrass myself going all the way around to the other one if it wasn't open, and since it wasn't open until 8 yesterday I thought I'd give them a pass.

Don't feel bad, I was literally the only customer in there the entire time and it sure didn't look open when I pulled up.


I *love* the fact they are open so early every day. That means I could drive there early on a Sunday and have the whole place to myself. Also, would mean no traffic as it's a good 10 miles from me, but going so early this AM it was only a 12 minute drive.

The places is so great it will be worth the trip, although way too far to be my every day store.

I would *kill* to have one of these downtown.

No kidding! How can we make that happen, even if on a smaller scale?

I need to go shopping this afternoon anyway, I think I'll stop by.

Went last night about 8:00---parking lot was not packed but several people looking around. When I checked out, only 2 lanes open and didn't see anyone with full baskets.
It is a nice store--and much brighter and roomier feeling than the one in Edmond. The perimeter departments all looked nice--didn't really look at the meat department.
As far as the grocery "side"---pretty average in my opinion. You could go to any new Kroger or Publix and have just as nice or a nicer store....of course, those aren't here...and this is nice for OKC.
I live about 5 or 6 minutes from there...a little closer to Sprouts. Wouldn't use this as my only store to shop in--I am a big store brand shopper. There are a few Best Choice items mixed in...but not close to the selection that BFL or Crest or Homeland would carry.
If you want 200 kinds of yogurt...this could be your place.
I shop multiple stores monthly--Aldi every couple of weeks for a big chunk of items....Sprouts for meat and vegetables...and Crest for everything else. I will add this to the mix for a while and see how it goes.
Definitely a nice store...a nice option to everything else we have here.
Prices on grocery items were comparable with Homeland I would say.
Just my two cents.

I'll need to check this place out for myself. From what I've seen and heard, this is the type of grocery store OKC needs more of, especially closer to the urban core which is so underserved by quality options.

Reminds me of a Mustard Seed Market.

Glad to have some upscale options in the city.

No kidding! How can we make that happen, even if on a smaller scale?

It doesn't even have to be in downtown proper, just convenient from it. Something like this on Classen somewhere between 23rd and 36th would be excellent. Of course Midtown would be ideal but if there isn't enough rooftops there isn't enough.

It doesn't even have to be in downtown proper, just convenient from it. Something like this on Classen somewhere between 23rd and 36th would be excellent. Of course Midtown would be ideal but if there isn't enough rooftops there isn't enough.

In my ideal world, we'd plop one of these Uptowns right next to Byron's and call it a day! :D

In my ideal world, we'd plop one of these Uptowns right next to Byron's and call it a day! :D

That would be perfect. Could draw from the high-income neighborhoods of Edgemere Park, Heritage Hills, and Mesta Park, and be convenient for those living downtown.

Bluegarten / Industry Flea site is where it is most likely to go with the great added benefit of being on the streetcar line.

Bluegarten / Industry Flea site is where it is most likely to go with the great added benefit of being on the streetcar line.

Are they waiting for the streetcar before pulling the trigger, or are they waiting on more housing?

Both.

Bluegarten / Industry Flea site is where it is most likely to go with the great added benefit of being on the streetcar line.

I could live with that! Very much so.

I think we are still about 3 years out but also believe there is a very good chance of it happening.

I liked it well enough, was very shiny.

In case anyone is curious about the layout:
http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12197&d=1454705983

It was a tiny bit confusing from the outside on account of the two different sets of entrances, don't park near the side entrance if you have lots of stuff to buy or you're going to have a bit of a longer walk back with your loot.

I liked it well enough, was very shiny.

In case anyone is curious about the layout:
http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=12197&d=1454705983

It was a tiny bit confusing from the outside on account of the two different sets of entrances, don't park near the side entrance if you have lots of stuff to buy or you're going to have a bit of a longer walk back with your loot.
"Uptown Pub"?

I went to Uptown Grocery tonight. Very nice store. It definitely will satisfy people who have lived in other cities and have had access to Kroger, Publix, Harris Teeter, etc. I probably wouldn't say its the nicest store I've ever seen, as some of the flagship Harris Teeter and H-E-B locations are a sight to behold, but its still a very solid store. I talked to the manager and told him they should put one downtown. He hinted that it will be coming within the next couple of years.

It will be interesting to see if the neighboring Homeland can hold it's own.

It's their flagship store but pales in comparison to this new Uptown Grocery and their prices are no better.

^^^ The parking lot was pretty full at the Homeland when I drove by last night. The Homeland at S 104th and Penn, so far, has held on despite Crest being so close and its in much worse shape. If the May and Britton Homeland fails, I think that's the beginning of the end for Homeland as a chain.

The May and Britton Homeland will likely benefit from Grand Cru Wine and Liquor being there, which is the best liquor store in OKC in my opinion. Aside from all the accessories and wine tastings, it reminds me of Total Wine.

I did my usual Saturday morning grocery shopping today and, as I normally go to the Homeland, I decided to take my shopping list to the Uptown Market first to compare prices. There were a few things cheaper there and a few were higher or exactly the same price. The Homeland is definitely a larger store in the general grocery aisles so it likely has a larger selection. The Uptown Market is nicer and with a larger selection in the prepared foods area. The Homeland is certainly not bad in that area though. I didn't see anything yet that would make me change stores except for the prepared foods but I may continue to compare for a few weeks. The Homeland seemed to be just as busy as it normally is on a Saturday morning.

"Uptown Pub"?

There is a pub upstairs that will also be used for special events. I spoke with one of the employees this morning who told me they would do wine tastings, have live music, etc. I was also told you could purchase a protein (steak, chicken), take it to the grill counter, and have it grilled to order for free. Then you could take said steak upstairs and have a beer with your food.

It's a pretty cool store, and has replaced Homeland for me.

I went last night and it is very nice. The cashier told me that the pub would be open soon and that next time my fiance goes grocery shopping I should come hang out and have some beers. Sounded awesome to me.

We went last night, too, about 8:30 or 9pm or so. It briefly crossed my mind to walk in the door and shout "Any OKCTalkers in here??" Like most posters here, we were impressed with the brightness and cleanliness of the store. Since my wife does 90% of the grocery shopping, I left the price comparisons to her. She grabbed a few things that were significantly cheaper than she had seen elsewhere (although those were doubtlessly Grand Opening sale prices).

Since this store is just around the corner from my office, I will likely pop in a lot to pick up a few needed things before going home.

We went last night, too, about 8:30 or 9pm or so. It briefly crossed my mind to walk in the door and shout "Any OKCTalkers in here??"

Same time I was there.

Went this morning and really liked it. I couldn't get past how bright the toiletries section, especially the toothpaste. Bright lights shining on each and every row on toothpaste made for quite the impression lol. Also the employees were extremely friendly -- had multiple people ask if I needed help, help me put something back, even somewhat aggressively try me to get to try a sample of their homemade Caesar dressing. Definitely a good add to the grocery store scene.

In my ideal world, we'd plop one of these Uptowns right next to Byron's and call it a day! :D

You're getting warmer. Head east just a bit. The Binkowski's have promised to renovate the Buy 4 Less at NE 23rd St & MLK Ave. and turn it into an Uptown Grocery Co.

My wife and I did a little shopping here today, and I was very impressed. It's not as large and impressive as Wegman's or Central Market, but it is the kind of grocery store you see more commonly in other parts of the country. It's great that they have so many prepared foods and places to sit and eat. I hope they continue to expand. I would love to see one of these open in Norman, although the grocery market here seems to be getting crowded. A Whole Foods would also be very welcome.

As I said previously, if your main interest is in prepared food, I can see why you would prefer this over the nearby Homeland. So far, that is the only reason I would go there over the Homeland.

There is a pub upstairs that will also be used for special events. I spoke with one of the employees this morning who told me they would do wine tastings, have live music, etc. I was also told you could purchase a protein (steak, chicken), take it to the grill counter, and have it grilled to order for free. Then you could take said steak upstairs and have a beer with your food.

This sounds awesome as they seemed to have some fairly cheap prime steaks in their meat dept. I was actually a little shocked at the price difference between their choice and prime cuts. Can't remember the exact price but it was around $15.99/lb for choice ribeye and like only $18.99/lb for prime. It was only $2-3 difference for New York strip as well. I'll be honest, I don't buy fresh steaks enough to know the normal pricing. But shouldn't the prime cut be much more expensive than the choice? Also, I remember my wife buying prime ribeye from crest a few years back and it was $24.99/lb. So this seems to be a good price to me.

As I said previously, if your main interest is in prepared food, I can see why you would prefer this over the nearby Homeland. So far, that is the only reason I would go there over the Homeland.

It's not just prepared food.

Their meat, cheese, organic and produce sections, for example, seem to be much more extensive. And that is all in the atrium portion of the store.

They carry a bunch of things I care about that Homeland doesn't have.


To each his own, but this store seems to be a clear cut above any other mainstream grocery in OKC.

Agree with you on this one, Pete. I have nothing against Homeland, especially their flagship store — which has been my primary grocery store for a couple of years now —, but I definitely prefer Uptown Gorcery.

I know ljbab728 has said before that he doesn't care for organic and that's the great aspect of the free market, but I prefer organic and Uptown meets a lot of my preferences.

I probably sound slightly meticulous and maybe even pretentious, but I have horrible stomach issues (mixed with some unfortunate genes) that require me to be very selective in what I eat. I don't have the money to shop at Whole Foods for everything, so Uptown is a much nicer option as far as budgets go.

I've never liked Whole Foods.

I'm glad OKC has one as it's another nice option and helps raise the bar, but there was a huge, elaborate store near me in California and I literally never shopped there. It's not only expensive, I just don't care for their variety of offerings, including their prepared foods.

That's why Sprouts is so great and a place like Uptown Grocery offers many of the same things but also all the regular items and at least competitive prices.

Plus, I am a single person and hate having to shop at multiple stores. I could shop for virtually everything at Uptown other than bulk dog food which I buy at Sam's. And when Trader Joe's opens, I'll shop there for specialty items when the mood hits.

BTW, even though this store is over 10 miles away, I'm considering making a weekly 6AM run when there is no traffic on the streets or in the store because it's just so much nicer than everything else and also has a better selection of the things I want. And all in one place.

Going that early means most the prepared food places won't be operating but I don't indulge in that stuff very often, as I'd rather sit down in a restaurant than get things to go.

Do you know when they are supposed to start on the NE 23rd and MLK location? While that still won't be super convenient from downtown, it will be a lot easier than driving all the way up to Britton and N May for groceries.

There have been all sort of issues and delays in that development and I'm not sure it's still even going to happen.

It's not just prepared food.

Their meat, cheese, organic and produce sections, for example, seem to be much more extensive. And that is all in the atrium portion of the store.

They carry a bunch of things I care about that Homeland doesn't have.


To each his own, but this store seems to be a clear cut above any other mainstream grocery in OKC.

Your absolutely right that everyone has their own priorities when shopping for groceries. I've never had a problem getting anything I need in the way of meat, produce, or cheese at the Homeland. And as Mississippi Blues mentioned, I have no interest in organic so I don't worry about that. The stores are only a block apart so using both of them at times requires little effort.

. . . no Boar's Head by the pound or Farrell Family Breads (Tulsa) so I'll still be hitting Sprouts. Bakery looks very nice. . . but La Baguette is on the way. . .even so. . . a VERY nice add to the grocery mix and a great selection of almost everything!!

I went for the first time on Sunday. Very nice as everyone has stated. I jotted down the prices of some of the regular items i buy at Homeland and I'll compare once I go to Homeland next week.

The only thing I noticed was how much more expensive the steaks were. The Prime Filets at Homeland are $24.99/lb and here they were $39.99/lb.

It's not just prepared food.

Their meat, cheese, organic and produce sections, for example, seem to be much more extensive. And that is all in the atrium portion of the store.

They carry a bunch of things I care about that Homeland doesn't have.


To each his own, but this store seems to be a clear cut above any other mainstream grocery in OKC.

I think that one of the main benefits of Whole Foods coming to OKC is that it has forced our other grocery stores to step up their game. I like to joke with people that Edmond was mad that OKC got Whole Foods and decided that they will just build their own version of Whole Foods and that's how they ended up with Uptown Groceries.

My main complaint with Whole Foods is that unless you are buying stuff from the peripheral areas, produce/meats/cheese/bakery, it's just like a really fancy Akins in the actual aisles. There really isn't anything there that would make me go up and down the aisles. And it's the produce/meats/cheese/bakery areas that our other stores, at least some locations, have upped their game.

I think that Uptown Market has one of the best balances between the peripheral selections of Whole Foods and the "normal" aisles of a grocery store.

Its nice to see more grocery options for more parts of the metro. I rarely shop the one in Edmond. I'm more of the Sprouts type of shopper. Meat, produce and whole grains with some dairy. I'll drop in Aldi's for some of there sale produce and a few other items. Its just nice that everyone has options to suit their shopping taste. I'm hoping that we continue to get more shopping options. I'm looking foreward to Trader Joe's. Hopefully we can soon get a Costco also.

We are now to the point were there are lots of good alternatives to the Walmart / Sam's stranglehold:

1. Uptown Market in Edmond, N. OKC, future NE OKC and Midtown
2. Sprouts expanding and doing fantastic business
3. Whole Foods
4. Trader Joe's coming soon
5. Aldi
6. Natural Grocers
7. Crest's newer stores are a step up
8. Winco should start construction on all 4 sites this summer (just learned this)


Those are all pretty darn good options, all within the last couple of years.

8. Winco should start construction on all 4 sites this summer (just learned this)

Fantastic!

We are now to the point were there are lots of good alternatives to the Walmart / Sam's stranglehold:

1. Uptown Market in Edmond, N. OKC, future NE OKC and Midtown
2. Sprouts expanding and doing fantastic business
3. Whole Foods
4. Trader Joe's coming soon
5. Aldi
6. Natural Grocers
7. Crest's newer stores are a step up
8. Winco should start construction on all 4 sites this summer (just learned this)


Those are all pretty darn good options, all within the last couple of years.

Homeland could also be a good option, depending on what store you are near. The only really bad one left is the 18th and Classen location. The rest of the worst ones have closed or have been converted to Cash Saver.

At this point, the lack of quality grocery stores is still the biggest deal if you live in central OKC. Once one or more grocers decides to invest south of NW 63rd, a lot of what people complain about with the grocery stores here will be a thing of the past.

^

I meant new movements in the market, not things that have been in place for a while.

^

I meant new movements in the market, not things that have been in place for a while.

Homeland has upgraded a few of its more profitable stores during the past few years though, likely in response to changes in the marketplace. In addition to May and Britton, the newly remodeled store at 122nd and Rockwell as well as the others that have been converted to the same format is acceptably nice. It's not amazing, but its acceptable. It's a far cry from the 18th and Classen location.

That's true!

Random thought: What kind of impact does a store like this have on property values in the area?

Here's a brief video we shot of the Uptown Grocery. Hope you enjoy.
https://vimeo.com/154774163

I can see home values easily increasing about $5 sq/ft in the immediate vicinity, possibly more. Its a big amenity to add on a listing.

Here's a brief video we shot of the Uptown Grocery. Hope you enjoy.
https://vimeo.com/154774163

Wow, awesome.

Thanks so much for sharing.

Wow, awesome.

Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks, Pete. I look forward to sharing many more as we go forward.

Homeland could also be a good option, depending on what store you are near. The only really bad one left is the 18th and Classen location. The rest of the worst ones have closed or have been converted to Cash Saver.

At this point, the lack of quality grocery stores is still the biggest deal if you live in central OKC. Once one or more grocers decides to invest south of NW 63rd, a lot of what people complain about with the grocery stores here will be a thing of the past.

It will be interesting to see how the potential new grocery store in the Gold Dome might fit in with that also.