Homeland at Lincoln and NE 36th

[Pete]

This is the nicest Homeland I've ever seen. Why didn't the Classen one get the same exterior love? Damn.

To their eternal credit, they did a ton at that Classen store.

But that is a small building on a small lot. This is a complete new-build and they are also getting a lot of assistance from the city due to the NE OKC food desert situation.

I'd love to see more of these, but that is unlikely simply because grocery margins are incredibly thin, especially in this middle market.

[Pete]

New Homeland in NE OKC opens September 1st

Press release:



************

HOMELAND ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING FOR NEW NORTHEAST LOCATION

OKLAHOMA CITY – August 20, 2021 – Homeland (HAC Inc), an Oklahoma, employee-owned company, invites the community to celebrate the opening of their new, full-service grocery store at NE 36 and Lincoln in Oklahoma City with a Grand Opening ceremony on September 1st at 9am and “First Sunday” Community Day on September 5th from 1pm-5pm.

The grand opening will include remarks from Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt, Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice, Cathy O’Connor, President of the Alliance for Economic Development for Oklahoma City, private investors and Marc Jones, CEO and President of Homeland. The Douglas High School Band, Comm-UNITY line dancers, and Rumble will entertain guests.

The “First Sunday” Community Day will feature local organizations, music, food trucks, kids activities, an appearance by OKC Thunder’s Rumble, live remote with Power 103.5 and fun for the entire family. Food trucks and music will continue every first Sunday each month.

“We are thrilled that an Oklahoma City- based grocery store will serve the neighborhoods in northeast Oklahoma City,” said O’Connor. “The area has been underserved for far too long. The City of Oklahoma City, Ward 7 City Council members, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, residents and the Alliance for Economic Development have been talking to grocers about locating in NE OKC for nearly 25 years. Homeland recognized the need for healthy, full-service grocery options in this area and we are thankful for their leadership and partnership.”

Homeland and Hunger Free OK are also announcing that the NE 36th and Lincoln store is the first in Oklahoma City to offer Hunger Free Oklahoma’s Double Up Oklahoma Program which matches SNAP (also known as food stamps) dollar for dollar with DUO Bucks redeemable for fresh fruits and vegetables (up to $20/day). Anyone receiving SNAP benefits is automatically eligible and no application is required. SNAP participants may simply shop with their SNAP/Oklahoma EBT card to start earning DUO Bucks.

The new 30,000 square foot grocery store will present a unique shopping experience to provide fresh, healthy grocery options to customers in the underserved northeast Oklahoma City area. It will feature a pharmacy and will boast an array of fresh offerings such as organic fruits and vegetables, freshly baked breads, a custom butcher shop and fresh, ready-to-eat deli foods. Daily lunch and dinner hot menu with made-to-order salads, grilled wraps tacos, nachos, burritos, quesadillas and 14" take and bake pizzas. Party trays are available every day with only the freshest ingredients, along with a bakery offering custom cakes.

Perhaps what’s most exciting about this Homeland location is the participation of locally established businesses such as, Not Your Average Joe coffee and Lil’ Leos Barbeque. NYAJ will offer a variety of coffee drinks, and an ever-changing menu of beer and wine-by-the-glass. And we expect a line out the door for Lil’ Leo’s delicious barbeque and their famous strawberry banana cake.

The store will have indoor seating for 38 near the grab-and-go prepared foods and an outdoor patio that seats 19. With wine and beer by the glass from NYAJ, the patio will serve as a perfect environment for the monthly “First Sunday” food truck and music event.

“The combination of the fresh deli, bakery, wine by the glass and casual seating areas allows us to offer an inviting atmosphere,” says Marc Jones, CEO and President of Homeland. “We want our store to serve as a gathering place for the neighborhood, where shoppers can grab a prepared lunch and enjoy it on the outdoor patio or where we can host community gatherings with food trucks and entertainment. This store combines several new ideas that our customers are looking for and we’re excited to offer them together in one store.”

Another feature of this store is the public art not only outdoors but also indoors by artist Shakurah Maynard, local graphic designer and photographer who created murals and black and white photography throughout the store as homage to the sense of family, community, and joy she has found in the Northeast Oklahoma City community.

Outdoor murals will be created by Manifold Creative Concepts. The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City and The City of Oklahoma City’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs and Homeland, announced previously that the firm had been chosen to design three murals covering two exterior walls visible from the corner of NE 36th and Lincoln. The exterior murals will connect the store to the surrounding community, reflect the culture of this Oklahoma City neighborhood and help to reveal our city’s unique character. This investment in public art is a priority in northeast Oklahoma City, the core of our city’s Black heritage.

CMSWillowbrook built the store and the architect is Mark Thomas of Architects Collective with civil engineering by Johnson & Associates. The store will serve several local neighborhoods and will share the block with the new MAPS 3 Senior Wellness Center that is planned to be complete in fall 2022. The store and wellness center will be served by a new EMBARK bus shelter.

Learn more about the Hunger Free Oklahoma’s Double Up Oklahoma Program at https://hungerfreeok.org/doubleupok/

For more information, follow Homeland Stores on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit our website: www.homelandstores.com

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About Homeland Stores

Homeland is part of the HAC, Inc. grocery chain headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As of 2021, HAC operates 79 grocery stores in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Georgia. HAC operates under multiple banners including Homeland, United, Cash Saver, Ponca City Discount, Food World and Piggly Wiggly. Homeland is HAC’s largest banner as well as Oklahoma’s largest locally-owned grocery store chain with 34 locations statewide. Homeland has been 100 percent employee owned since 2011. The company traces its roots back to 1916 when the first United Supermarket was opened in Sayre, Oklahoma.

[Pete]

This store is beautiful.

I took all the photos yesterday as they were very busy putting on the finishing touches.

There will be a really nice seating area indoors as well as seating on a covered outdoor patio.

It's all so nice, I'll go out of my way to shop there. Should be a smash hit.

[TheTravellers]

This store is beautiful.

I took all the photos yesterday as they were very busy putting on the finishing touches.

There will be a really nice seating area indoors as well as seating on a covered outdoor patio.

It's all so nice, I'll go out of my way to shop there. Should be a smash hit.

We'll never set foot in the Homeland at 18th/Classen again...

[TheTravellers]

We'll never set foot in the Homeland at 18th/Classen again...

Unfortunately, I have to take this back. The new store is great for the area, was very busy when we went, but we probably won't be going back except for maybe a few items (Red Baron sausage scrambles, for one - 18th only has bacon). They have a big organic produce section, but their deli meat is lower tier (Dietz & Watson vs. 18th having Boar's Head). They don't have as good of a selection of items overall that the 18th store has - no Oscar Meyer center cut thick-sliced bacon, no White Castle cheeseburgers (2 rows of hamburgers, though ), no FiberOne bars, no honey-pecan Philadelphia cream cheese, the cheaper/thinner brands of napkins, completely out of Nilla wafers, etc.

The food selection at the deli is good - Leo's brisket sandwich had *a ton* of meat, and it was decent quality, but their beans were weird (too much black pepper, I think). Dead flies all over the windowsills in the seating area, though (when we left, a worker was using a dustbuster to get them up!). The coffee shop's baked goods are by Quincy Bake Shop, the chocolate babka was fantastic! Unfortunately, the horchata lattes were pretty weak (a lot of reviews mention their drinks being weak). Only one cashier working, and the line was pretty long.

Absolutely wonderful that the area has that store now, and it's being patronized quite heavily, so it's a win all-around, but not worth it for us. Sticking to the 18th HL, Winco, and Sprouts/WF/NG if needed.

[AnguisHerba]

Wow. This looks incredible, and I definitely want to check it out on "First Sunday." Love the planned murals idea, too. Homeland + Lincoln Plaza + the community center are going to put the northeast side on a new level that will hopefully attract more private investment.

[Pete]

The Lincoln Blvd. area has almost completely turned around in just the last couple of years.

[Plutonic Panda]

The Lincoln Blvd. area has almost completely turned around in just the last couple of years.

ODOT is planning to reconstruct Lincoln from the capital to I-44 in a few years, IIRC. OKC should work with them to add more landscaping and add protected bike lanes.

[baralheia]

This new store looks absolutely fantastic... I hope and wish that HAC is able to build more of these! I'd love to have a Homeland on the south side again so a non-Walmart option would finally be convenient.

[Pete]

This new store looks absolutely fantastic... I hope and wish that HAC is able to build more of these! I'd love to have a Homeland on the south side again so a non-Walmart option would finally be convenient.

Remember, this store was heavily subsidized by taxpayers and is the first new store Homeland has opened in decades while closing over 50 of them.

[boilerup35]

Remember, this store was heavily subsidized by taxpayers and is the first new store Homeland has opened in decades while closing over 50 of them.

Is that why the parking lot has terrible drainage and large puddles form after it rains? It is excellent for government work 😉

[shawnw]

I just figure terrible parking lots that have to be maintained at a higher rate than what seems typical was the standard at homeland...

[TheTravellers]

I just figure terrible parking lots that have to be maintained at a higher rate than what seems typical was the standard at homeland...

Speaking of terrible Homeland parking lots, the one at 18th/Classen *still* has angled parking with two-way driving down each aisle. Absolutely no room for two cars side-by-side (who backs up when you meet in the middle?) for that method and completely stupid that they restriped it the exact same way when they redid it recently...

[shawnw]

wait until you hear about how terrible the bike parking is (wrong kind of rack)

[Bill Robertson]

My wife has texted me a few times. She was supposed to be at the opening but she went over about 8:30 and said it was "packed". We're not doing crowds right now. She says she's looked over there a few more times and it still looks really crowded.

[TheTravellers]

My wife has texted me a few times. She was supposed to be at the opening but she went over about 8:30 and said it was "packed". We're not doing crowds right now. She says she's looked over there a few more times and it still looks really crowded.

Given how crappy and inconsistent the service (mainly at the deli counter) and stock is at the 18th/Classen one, we're giving them a month to get their **** together at the new one before we try it. We do the same thing for restaurants, we *never* go the first day to anything...

[Bill Robertson]

Given how crappy and inconsistent the service (mainly at the deli counter) and stock is at the 18th/Classen one, we're giving them a month to get their **** together at the new one before we try it. We do the same thing for restaurants, we *never* go the first day to anything...

We do the same thing.

[swosuknight]

I wish Homeland didn't like to make their aisles so narrow. It feels so cramped. I was hoping with a brand new store they would have a little more room. You can barely pass someone.

[TheTravellers]

I wish Homeland didn't like to make their aisles so narrow. It feels so cramped. I was hoping with a brand new store they would have a little more room. You can barely pass someone.

Hopefully they don't have too many bumpout displays in the aisles, those really screw up traffic and tick people off.

[chssooner]

I wish Homeland didn't like to make their aisles so narrow. It feels so cramped. I was hoping with a brand new store they would have a little more room. You can barely pass someone.

It is a smaller store, so they likely wanted to get as much in as they could.

[Bill Robertson]

^ I like the Rockwell/122nd store much better than the May/Britton store because the May store has wider aisles. Which equates to having less product. I want as much product selection as I can get.

[TheTravellers]

^ I like the Rockwell/122nd store much better than the May/Britton store because the May store has wider aisles. Which equates to having less product. I want as much product selection as I can get.

Y'know, if stores (not just HL specifically, although they do it too) would just take out maybe 3 rows of Tide (out of the 15 they currently have) or 3 rows of crushed tomatoes (out of the 20 they have, of 3 different brands) or ..... and put more *different* products in, that would be nice. At WinCo, they had literally 20 rows of Cheddar Jalapeno Lays (probably 4-5 deep) and I seriously doubt there is any way they'd sell all those before they got another truck in.

Having said that, the HL on Classen has stocked some non-basic things (better salad dressings, hint water, etc.) since the remodel, but after the wife's shopping trip there today, she's so ready to switch to WinCo and the 36th Homeland (assuming it meets our needs, because WinCo is still pretty much non-specialty, but they do have a way bigger selection (we kind of stared slack-jawed at the frozen lunch selection at WinCo - soooooo big, lol).

[Pete]

^

Vendors pay for shelf space in many stores, which is why you see those big displays.

[TheTravellers]

^

Vendors pay for shelf space in many stores, which is why you see those big displays.

Yeah, having worked for IRI in Chicago at one point, I should've remembered that, but damn, it gets old going to 4 different stores. Capitalism, yay....

[shawnw]

Some brands also pay for local folks to go into stores to check that the store is compliant with their merchandising agreements. Back in the late 90s I did this for Microsoft, Symantec, HP, and a couple other tech brands in all the local computer related big box stores (Office Depot, Office Max, CompUSA, Best Buy, etc).