Yep. That's my point here. I'm in no way saying I don't think we will (or should) get a supermarket in downtown proper; heck it could happen next week for all I know. But it will by necessity cater primarily to a driving clientele. As you point out, even Native Roots - which currently is surrounded by the most dense downtown housing we currently have - relies heavily on drive-up traffic, as their parking struggles post-Urban Johnny proves.

Agree.

A quality grocery store at 18th and Classen would be a HUGE improvement over having to drive to the Belle Isle Wal-Mart, which many downtown residents currently do. I don't think the population of downtown OKC is currently at a point where a real grocery store could be supported in a neighborhood like Midtown. If it was able to be supported I am sure that somebody would have taken the initiative by now.

Do you know the current residential population of downtown?

I'm not saying 18th and Classen isn't a fabulous location. It's a fabulous location that Homeland has never taken advantage of, and incentives should maybe be reserved for a downtown retail venture.

They are talking about spending a couple of million on renovation, so some small tax abatement would probably be worth that in my opinion.

Even if they ultimately move out, at least the building would be much nicer. The outside looks as bad as the inside and is a blight on the area.


That location is probably as good as any for a downtown grocer. I know people want to see something in Midtown but this is very close and would also serve the established historic neighborhoods on all sides.

It just makes me laugh each time I read another story about an urban grocery store and "just not enough rooftops to support it." No, I don't live in an urban area but suburban. Within 2 miles of my house I have 5 (count them, FIVE) locations of the same King Soopers (Kroger) grocery chain. On top of that, there is a Safeway, an Albertson's, a Sprouts and a huge Whole Foods. This is an area with middle to upper middle incomes but there are NOT 20-30 times the households in the area I live in than are within 2-3 miles of 18th and Classen.

My guess is the issue with Homeland boils down to income demographics. There are plenty of rooftops and plenty of shoppers but the Homeland management thinks they are mainly the lower middle-incomers and (* * whisper, look around - minorities * * ) are going to buy mainly the essentials with low profit margins and not enough people in the area with enough discretionary money to buy the higher margin items.

My guess is that if Homeland sunk a few million into a quality remodel and even an expansion, it would be like the Whole Foods up near Chesapeake. The management of the chain mistakenly thinking people in Oklahoma City are too value oriented so they have to wait for an incentive to put in a store. From what I understand and have seen, that Whole Foods is very busy and successful. I bet with the growing population in and near downtown, residential projects under construction and proposed, Homeland would be very successful. Its like the movie, "If you build it, they will come."

It just makes me laugh each time I read another story about an urban grocery store and "just not enough rooftops to support it." No, I don't live in an urban area but suburban. Within 2 miles of my house I have 5 (count them, FIVE) locations of the same King Soopers (Kroger) grocery chain. On top of that, there is a Safeway, an Albertson's, a Sprouts and a huge Whole Foods. This is an area with middle to upper middle incomes but there are NOT 20-30 times the households in the area I live in than are within 2-3 miles of 18th and Classen.

My guess is the issue with Homeland boils down to income demographics. There are plenty of rooftops and plenty of shoppers but the Homeland management thinks they are mainly the lower middle-incomers and (* * whisper, look around - minorities * * ) are going to buy mainly the essentials with low profit margins and not enough people in the area with enough discretionary money to buy the higher margin items.

My guess is that if Homeland sunk a few million into a quality remodel and even an expansion, it would be like the Whole Foods up near Chesapeake. The management of the chain mistakenly thinking people in Oklahoma City are too value oriented so they have to wait for an incentive to put in a store. From what I understand and have seen, that Whole Foods is very busy and successful. I bet with the growing population in and near downtown, residential projects under construction and proposed, Homeland would be very successful. Its like the movie, "If you build it, they will come."

Good points. OKC is severely underserved in terms of grocery stores. That is nothing new. I can't think of any other city, larger or smaller, that as few quality grocers per capita as this city does. The 18th and Classen Homeland today pretty much represents the standard for OKC grocery shopping. One of two things will have to happen though before there will be drastic improvement.

A) A competing national chain with big pockets would need to enter the market. Right now Wal-Mart is running the show in this town with little real competition. A chain like Kroger, Tom Thumb, H-E-B, Publix, etc could actually make stuff happen. They have the capital to expand at a rapid rate unlike the snails pace expansion we are currently seeing from Crest and Buy for Less.
B) The liquor laws would need to be modernized. Liquor is big profit in states that allow it. Allowing at least beer and wine in grocery stores in Oklahoma would likely very quickly result in more grocery stores and upgrades to existing ones. OKC could probably even support a downtown store if it was like the Harris Teeter in downtown Charlotte, which primarily focuses on a wide selection of beer and wine.

Due to the fact that neither of those things are in the cards in the near future, there is little hope of real improvement in this area. If I were Crest or Buy for Less, I would take this opportunity to ramp up expansion and put Homeland out of its misery.

It may be necessary for another big chain to be lured here, but don't get the idea liquor has that much to do with it. Here in Colorado, the silly laws are such that only one store from each chain can sell liquor directly in the store STATEWIDE. The chain names it's "flagship" store for the state and liquor can be sold there. Sprouts store happens to be one near where I live but I don't shop there because there are plenty of other liquor choices in the area. Like OK, you can only buy 3.2 beer in all other stores.

The demographics issue in downtown OKC is tough because retailers look at numbers in a 1-, 3- and 5-mile radius. For a grocery store, 1- and 3-mile are key.

Although downtown is filling in a bit and there are some denser neighborhoods as you head north, there is very little to the south, east and west. So the numbers are always going to be lean even as we get more people moving into downtown.

Further, grocers typically only go downtown when it's pretty mature and the rest of the city is relatively saturated. Los Angeles only got a full-scale grocery a few years ago and the demographics there are pretty darn dense.


We are just flipping lucky that Native Roots is downtown at all, let alone moving in when they did.

It may be necessary for another big chain to be lured here, but don't get the idea liquor has that much to do with it. Here in Colorado, the silly laws are such that only one store from each chain can sell liquor directly in the store STATEWIDE. The chain names it's "flagship" store for the state and liquor can be sold there. Sprouts store happens to be one near where I live but I don't shop there because there are plenty of other liquor choices in the area. Like OK, you can only buy 3.2 beer in all other stores.

I agree, liquor isn't a do or die deal. It would help though especially in a situation like in OKC where demographics are marginal at best. Being able to sell liquor would give them the confidence that a store would be successful. Having a national chain buy out Homeland though would be ideal. Even with this state's draconian liquor laws, the situation could be much better than it is. One only has to look up the turnpike to Tulsa, which has a MUCH better grocery situation metro-wide thanks to their dominant chain being Reasor's. Reasor's isn't national but they care and take pride in their stores unlike Homeland.

I understand what you are trying to say, Pete, but where I live there isn't much east or south of me, either. I have 9 quality grocery stores within 2 miles of where I live. There are just as many "rooftops" near 18th and Classen as near where I live because so much of what is near me is office and commercial. Its a money game and its the same reason virtually all other cities have trouble getting retailers to stay near downtown areas. For some reason, Denver is served by multiple grocery stores in and around downtown.

Downtown Denver and the surrounding areas have always had dense populations, unlike a lot of cities where people left in droves and are only now coming back (like L.A.).

In two miles from the middle of downtown OKC there is Native Roots, Homeland, Buy for Less and Walmart Neighborhood Market plus a CVS and Walgreens.

don't forget about Super Cao Nguyen - I know its not a traditional grocery store, but for fresh produce and meats, they are pretty good, but incomplete for *ahem* people's tastes.

also there's the little braum's fresh market. but that place is dirtier than the homeland.

And nobody made the argument that the rooftop numbers don't exist at 18th and Classen. You are distorting what has been said here. The whole basis for my own recent posts was that 18th and Classen was surrounded by thick housing stock, much of it with desirable demographics.

The hoped-for walkable grocery in the heart of downtown or midtown is an entirely different matter, however. The downtown population, while growing at an amazing pace, is still minuscule in comparison to other parts of the city. And "walkable" is only practical within a radius of several blocks, anyway. The points Pete makes about everything south and east (and even mostly west of downtown) are spot-on also; it is all office, industrial, and wasteland.

The comparison to Denver couldn't be more of an apples-to-oranges juxtaposition other than if you had used a place like Chicago or Manhattan. Denver has a rare level of (mostly affluent) population density downtown for a city in the central U.S., and has for decades.

When I lived at the Classen I shoped at all three places, SCN, Homeland, and Fresh Market, depending on the products...

I wanted to speak to the "value proposition" discussion of this Homeland location... most items are not particularly cheap. Many are full retail price. If you have a Homeland card you get some deals, but I don't have one, and a lot of times people don't and the cashier swipes one for them. So I don't think the lower income folks in the area would have a noticeably different shopping experience cost wise than if this Homeland was something more upscale. They might even be better off from a health perspective.

When I lived at the Classen I shoped at all three places, SCN, Homeland, and Fresh Market, depending on the products...

I wanted to speak to the "value proposition" discussion of this Homeland location... most items are not particularly cheap. Many are full retail price. If you have a Homeland card you get some deals, but I don't have one, and a lot of times people don't and the cashier swipes one for them. So I don't think the lower income folks in the area would have a noticeably different shopping experience cost wise than if this Homeland was something more upscale. They might even be better off from a health perspective.

This is a big misconception among a lot of people in OKC. People here think when people like myself complain about the low quality grocery stores in OKC, we are wanting more high-end, hoity-toity stores with high prices i.e. Whole Foods. That couldn't be farther from the truth. Stores like Kroger, Harris Teeter, Reasor's, Publx, etc are no more expensive than Homeland yet are much, much better stores in every possible way from cleanliness to appearance to selection.

If the average Homeland was more like the one at May and Britton than the one at 18th and Classen there would be far less complaining. Homeland needs a change in management or to simply get bought out.

Stores like Kroger, Harris Teeter, Reasor's, Publx, etc are no more expensive than Homeland yet are much, much better stores in every possible way from cleanliness to appearance to selection.

I can't speak to the quality or price of the others, but I'm from Tahlequah, where Reasor's started. I shopped there a lot. Reasor's is definitely more expensive than Homeland, for a minimal increase in quality, IMO.

It just makes me laugh each time I read another story about an urban grocery store and "just not enough rooftops to support it."
...
The management of the chain mistakenly thinking people in Oklahoma City are too value oriented so they have to wait for an incentive to put in a store.

I find this statement humorous (but sadly, true). We complain about how the big retailers don't see OKC for what it is until they risk it and find out just how avid OKC shoppers are, but the same is true of our OWN business -- underestimating OKC shoppers.

Why would Homeland be chasing value shoppers? Their prices are comparably high. They have no apparent niche in this market. I admire the fact they are willing to consider improving that store, but they don't seem to get it. It's a little bit of a case of "too little, too late," in my opinion, unless they are going to transform -- and perhaps rebrand -- that store with offerings more in line with what one would expect in a growing inner-city neighborhood.

Again, if we are going to offer them an incentive, we should ask them what they are going to do with the store besides improving the brick and mortar. If they are not going to fundamentally change what they're doing in that location, let's save the incentives for a more desirable operator.

Why would Homeland be chasing value shoppers? Their prices are comparably high. They have no apparent niche in this market. I admire the fact they are willing to consider improving that store, but they don't seem to get it. It's a little bit of a case of "too little, too late," in my opinion, unless they are going to transform -- and perhaps rebrand -- that store with offerings more in line with what one would expect in a growing inner-city neighborhood.

If every other city can support a middle of the road grocer, why can't OKC? I don't buy that there is no niche in the market for their price point. However, they need to offer the quality that one should expect for such a mid-range store. It goes back to the same issue Albertson's had when they basically gave the OKC market the finger. People aren't going to pay higher prices for Wal-Mart quality or worse. As for the 18th and Classen store, I would definitely support a remodel and even an incentive if there is a guarantee they will do it right. If not, I would rather see Buy for Less come in and attempt to serve the downtown/midtown market. They seem to be getting pretty good at customizing their stores to fit the neighborhood they are in.

If every other city can support a middle of the road grocer, why can't OKC? I don't buy that there is no niche in the market for their price point. However, they need to offer the quality that one should expect for such a mid-range store. It goes back to the same issue Albertson's had when they basically gave the OKC market the finger. People aren't going to pay higher prices for Wal-Mart quality or worse. As for the 18th and Classen store, I would definitely support a remodel and even an incentive if there is a guarantee they will do it right. If not, I would rather see Buy for Less come in and attempt to serve the downtown/midtown market. They seem to be getting pretty good at customizing their stores to fit the neighborhood they are in.

Because the operator doesn't seem to know what it's doing.

Maybe we can all nominate Mr. Fitzgerald for UnderCover boss and suggest he visit the 18th & Classen store. LOL. Maybe then he'd see firsthand how crappy it really is.

Maybe we can all nominate Mr. Fitzgerald for UnderCover boss and suggest he visit the 18th & Classen store. LOL. Maybe then he'd see firsthand how crappy it really is.

NW 122nd and May too! Perfect location and a crappy store. That Homeland and the great store (IMO) at Britton and May might as well be on two different planets.

NW 122nd and May too! Perfect location and a crappy store. That Homeland and the great store (IMO) at Britton and May might as well be on two different planets.

Agree. The 122nd and May Homeland is abhorrent. It always has a foul smell when you walk in. Such a great location wasted. The 122nd and Rockwell store is a little better but still nothing to write home about.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o214/bchris02/IMG_0807_zps465e59b9.jpg

Get rid of this place. Homeland is a joke. Time to move on.

I have been to three Homelands that were formerly Albertson's, S. E. 29th and Sunnylane, May and Britton, and North Bryant and Danforth in Edmond and they are the best Homelands I have seen. In order (my opinion of course) May and Britton, S. E. 29th and Sunnylane, and North Bryant and Danforth. Is it a coincidence or does it have something to do with the condition of the building/structure and parking lot when they took them over? I don't think so, I think cleanliness, neat produce areas and other things seem to have more to do with on site management.
C. T.

I have been to three Homelands that were formerly Albertson's, S. E. 29th and Sunnylane, May and Britton, and North Bryant and Danforth in Edmond and they are the best Homelands I have seen. In order (my opinion of course) May and Britton, S. E. 29th and Sunnylane, and North Bryant and Danforth. Is it a coincidence or does it have something to do with the condition of the building/structure and parking lot when they took them over? I don't think so, I think cleanliness, neat produce areas and other things seem to have more to do with on site management.
C. T.

Homeland seems to have certain locations they care about and others they don't. I don't think it totally matters whether or not it was an Albertson's or not. The Edmond Homeland at 33rd and Broadway isn't bad and I don't think it was an Albertson's. NW 122nd and Rockwell definitely was an Albertson's and while its not the worst Homeland out there its still kind of dirty and gloomy. NW Expressway and MacArthur is another former Albertson's that hasn't really been kept up well.

Homeland seems to have certain locations they care about and others they don't. I don't think it totally matters whether or not it was an Albertson's or not. The Edmond Homeland at 33rd and Broadway isn't bad and I don't think it was an Albertson's. NW 122nd and Rockwell definitely was an Albertson's and while its not the worst Homeland out there its still kind of dirty and gloomy. NW Expressway and MacArthur is another former Albertson's that hasn't really been kept up well.

The 33rd and Broadway store was a Price Chopper (Price Mart before that). That was where I did my grocery shopping in college (OC).

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Bchris,
I think the one at 33rd and Broadway is ok, but it isn't up to par with the three I mentioned. I had forgotten about MacArthur and Northwest Expressway, but I have never been in that one. Also, the three I mentioned are the only formerly Albertson's/now Homeland's that I have been in. Since I retired, I lead a sheltered life. Actually, I live so far East that I just don't go to the far west areas anymore. I worked at MacArthur and Northwest Expressway (Hertz) and was a lot more familiar with businesses in that area than I am now.
C. T.
Homeland seems to have certain locations they care about and others they don't. I don't think it totally matters whether or not it was an Albertson's or not. The Edmond Homeland at 33rd and Broadway isn't bad and I don't think it was an Albertson's. NW 122nd and Rockwell definitely was an Albertson's and while its not the worst Homeland out there its still kind of dirty and gloomy. NW Expressway and MacArthur is another former Albertson's that hasn't really been kept up well.

I used to live on 18th & Classen, in the cul de sac in Mesta. I could smell the chicken frying at 8:00 am and see the joint from my front porch. I would drive to Sprouts for my major grocery shopping and cringe if I had to run in to Homieland for an onion or some flour. I now live on 25th & Walker, I still shop at Sprouts and WF, and I will be shopping at the new Uptown market on the east side when it opens. I dream of a nice grocery store closer!!

Agree. The 122nd and May Homeland is abhorrent. It always has a foul smell when you walk in. Such a great location wasted. The 122nd and Rockwell store is a little better but still nothing to write home about.

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o214/bchris02/IMG_0807_zps465e59b9.jpg
Wasn't this a Safeway at one time?

NW Expressway and MacArthur is another former Albertson's that hasn't really been kept up well.

I shop there regularly. I agree that it could use a remodel but I have no problem with it It's certainly not dirty looking in the least and they meet my basic needs just fine.

I shop there regularly. I agree that it could use a remodel but I have no problem with it It's certainly not dirty looking in the least and they meet my basic needs just fine.

Wow. High praise.

Unlike N May and 122nd or 18th and Classen, the NW Expressway and MacArthur location isn't so bad that I would avoid it if it was the closest store to me. It does however need a remodel. It's a great location and its not yet so far gone it couldn't become a great store if they would spend a little money on it.

Wow. High praise.

Meh, call it what you want. I'm happy with it and have little desire to go elsewhere unless I'm looking for some specialty items. I do occasionally go to Whole Foods for some items but would never consider it for my main grocery store. That Homeland meets most of my needs just fine and my needs don't include expensive and unnecessary organic food even though Homeland certainly carries that.

I seem to recall a year or so ago there being an announcement about a Homeland store (maybe?) that was going to be cultivating its own vegetables and so forth, possibly new construction addition to the existing store? Anybody familiar with this project? Any updates?

Pete, feel free to merge this if appropriate.

That was more like two years ago, I think; it was the Homeland at May and Britton, and the garden was to be located on the roof of the store. I suspect, but it's just a guess, that the engineers discovered that the roof could not stand the weight, and the plan went quietly into that dark night from whence none returneth...

I remember that. I found the Oklahoman story from 2012. New greenhouse to be built to supply Homeland with fresh produce | News OK (http://newsok.com/new-greenhouse-to-be-built-to-supply-homeland-with-fresh-produce/article/3671790)

Yeah, that's it, good job. Too bad there's been no movement on this.

Homeland is closing their NW Expressway and MacArthur location. Shutting down in October. That's all I know.

I see this thread title and I immediately wish for 18th & Classen only to be disappointed.

If this is true I hope they will work to place the employees elsewhere. For many years that store has employed a number of "special needs" people who might find difficulty finding other employment.

If this is true I hope they will work to place the employees elsewhere. For many years that store has employed a number of "special needs" people who might find difficulty finding other employment.

Yes, you are right about that.

It's definitely true. A Homeland employee lives two doors down and she was crushed this evening. Crying, very upset. She told us what they were told today. I called a friend whose daughter works there and the daughter wasn't there, but he told me, "They told the managers today that the store was closing in October." No promises on jobs in other stores. These two hardly know one another - it's true.

They've been putting some money into the store at 122nd & Rockwell. New flooring, paint, a new cheese bar, a new fruit bar and new interior signage. Something like what N. May & Britton has. I guess they decided to close NW Exp. instead of upgrading it. The two aren't that far apart.

I see this thread title and I immediately wish for 18th & Classen only to be disappointed.

This store is slated to get a makeover.

Frankly, I'm surprised they're not closing the one in Chatney. It has really gone down in cleanliness, lighting, etc. So sad. Hard to compete with Crest, but lots of folks do prefer to go there. The deli and meat counters are just unhealthy looking.

Yet, somehow the store on 122nd and May still lives on.

With all the new grocery stores coming into the market, I suspect we'll see more of their stores close.

If they can't hack it at MacArthur & NW Expressway, they are in deep trouble.

It will be interesting to see how the one on Britton and May does once Natural Grocers and Uptown Grocery opens.

Hey OO, where is Chatney?


Frankly, I'm surprised they're not closing the one in Chatney. It has really gone down in cleanliness, lighting, etc. So sad. Hard to compete with Crest, but lots of folks do prefer to go there. The deli and meat counters are just unhealthy looking.

It will be interesting to see how the one on Britton and May does once Natural Grocers and Uptown Grocery opens.

Living in The Village, I've been wondering the same thing. I really like what they have done with the Homeland over the past few years. They have a great cheese section and deli, a good produce department, a very good meat counter and generally have everything I might be looking for from a grocery store. Plus the staff is very friendly. That being said, one reason I might shop at the new Uptown Grocery is due to the fact that it will be in the Village City Limits and therefore some of the sales taxes will go to The Village. On the other hand, I almost NEVER go to the Walmart Neighborhood Market, even though it is closer to the house than the Homeland and is also in The Village. It's just . . . the Walmart connect that puts me off.

This store is slated to get a makeover.

I was thinking that the Homeland spokesperson said that this location needs a $2M makeover and was suggesting that the city help pay for it. Maybe I was reading between the lines?

Hey OO, where is Chatney?

Suspect he's referring to the Homeland in Chatenay Square on SW 104th and Penn.

This has been a troubled retail grocery location since it first opened many years ago, back when Buchanan's was still a major grocery player in SW Oklahoma City. It's gone from Homeland to Albertson's and back to Homeland, and perhaps one other in the mix - there was a history there involving an original grocery tenant that started/signed on, but then fell through, followed by some legal threats and entanglements about someone being contractually obligated to provide a grocery tenant for the spot.

The original store, years ago, was nice, with a deli and an eat-in seating area, much bigger/nicer bakery, just a nicer overall concept, and then - poof - gone. Albertson's moved over from their store on SW 104th and Western, and it was nice for a while, then they went kaput, and back to Homeland it went - but it's never been as nice as the original, and I agree its fallen into a lapse of interest...maybe not true disrepair, but it surely isn't a destination store any longer - and they've always maintained high Homeland prices which made it a very limited (to be generous) player for us over the years, especially so with Crest.

Last time I was in there it had all the trappings of a place that could just be closed at any second, looks like was stuck in an 80's-90's time warp, not very appealing, and I can't imagine the folks who run Chatenay are crazy about how they've treated the property given they really do aspire to nicer retail establishments there. Hard for me to see how the place will survive in the long run. We'll see, I guess.

Homeland on NW122 and Rockwell will probably be around for a long, long time (good location) with all the new housing in the area. But then again...ya never know.

Hey OO, where is Chatney?

Located on the SE corner of SW 104th & S. Penn in the Chateney Square Shopping Center. :) The store used to be an Albertson's before being taken over by Homeland. When it first opened, it was "the" place to shop in that SW area...then the new Crest opened at SW 104th & S. May...and the Homeland did not keep up its interior, etc. The folks who work there are super nice, but the store is just not like it should be. It is comparable to the one at NW 122 & N. May. SoonerDave is spot on in his description!

If there is any truth to the rumor going around that a Sprouts might go in across the street on the property currently for sale, then Homeland is definitely toast. We've heard that story about the "requirement" that there had to be a grocery store in Chateney Square too. Always wondered the basis for that. They could turn the Homeland into a Sprouts, and with a complete remodel, update, etc., it would do well in that demographic area.

This store is slated to get a makeover.

Unless their "makeover" uses a large bulldozer, they're wasting their money.

When I lived the are the 122nd & May store was one of the nicest Homeland stores....of course the apartments in the area were as well.

Located on the SE corner of SW 104th & S. Penn in the Chateney Square Shopping Center. :) The store used to be an Albertson's before being taken over by Homeland. When it first opened, it was "the" place to shop in that SW area...then the new Crest opened at SW 104th & S. May...and the Homeland did not keep up its interior, etc. The folks who work there are super nice, but the store is just not like it should be. It is comparable to the one at NW 122 & N. May. SoonerDave is spot on in his description!

If there is any truth to the rumor going around that a Sprouts might go in across the street on the property currently for sale, then Homeland is definitely toast. We've heard that story about the "requirement" that there had to be a grocery store in Chateney Square too. Always wondered the basis for that. They could turn the Homeland into a Sprouts, and with a complete remodel, update, etc., it would do well in that demographic area.

OO, I am not making fun of your spelling. I can't pronounce the name of the square no matter how it is spelled.

OO, I am not making fun of your spelling. I can't pronounce the name of the square no matter how it is spelled.

UP, no problem. My bad for the misspellings in both posts; I'll plead inattentiveness and being in too much of a rush to go check the proper spelling. :o As to the pronunciation, we say, "Shat-en-a" (long "a" on the end), but I have no idea if that is correct or not. We're Okies; we just try to go with what we think it might be. Have heard others say, "Chat-nay." Take your pick, or add your own. :)

Okay, just went out on the Net and looked up the spelling. I was wrong; it's Chatenay, which I should know, as I go to the Panera there all the time. Sigh. Next time, I'll check the spelling before I post. SoonerDave was right in his spelling, and I was not. I never mind being corrected!

But back to the topic, they desperately need to remodel and improve that store!

When I lived the are the 122nd & May store was one of the nicest Homeland stores....of course the apartments in the area were as well.

I question how this store survives. It is very sad, because I, too, remember when it was probably the nicest store in Oklahoma City when it opened. It was a Safeway I believe in - what? - 1980-81? They introduced the pull-thru service with groceries loaded right by the door by a quick and attentive staff. Top notch all the way. Very sad.

Britton and May I think will weather any of the competition and still be a strong store. But 122nd and May has got to hear the clock ticking.

It survives because there's a gazillion apartments nearby (I used to live in one) and it's the closest thing, so people will use it almost no matter what, kind of like 18th/Classen. It sucks, but people use it no matter what because it's the closest thing.

It survives because there's a gazillion apartments nearby (I used to live in one) and it's the closest thing, so people will use it almost no matter what, kind of like 18th/Classen. It sucks, but people use it no matter what because it's the closest thing.

Also the old folks that live in Quail Creek - those are about the only people I ever see when I go in there, which is almost-never-to-rarely.