downtown supermarket

[mranderson]

Who would you like to see open a supermarket downtown.

The list includes some supermarkets that are regional, such as Ralph's in California and Publix in Florida.

[John]

You didn't have Central Market, which is HEB's 'cool' store, which would be the one locating downtown, so I voted for Whole Foods.

[okrednk]

What about a Crest foods?

[John]

What about a Crest foods?

Downtown?

[BG918]

I could see something more like Walgreen's or CVS opening up an urban shop somewhere in south downtown, maybe the Arts District near the Galleria parking garage? That would serve that growing residential district as well as people staying at downtown hotels. A grocery like Whole Foods or Central Market would be nice on Reno near the tracks in Bricktown. Lots of open land there for a store facing the street with parking behind. I'm thinking more of the north side of Reno, I think that large area of land around U-Haul would make a cool museum/science center site someday and should be saved for something BIG.

[mranderson]

You didn't have Central Market, which is HEB's 'cool' store, which would be the one locating downtown, so I voted for Whole Foods.

I went to a website that showed a lot of supermarket chains, however that one was not on it. Plus I added some locals.

[Midtowner]

Crest isn't all that bad an idea. Crest is a local company, and I would therefore think that they would be better able to do a downtown store better than anyone else. Folks keep saying that they want an 'organic' type grocery store downtown. I'm not sure that'll play so well. I personally want just a regular grocery store close by, not some sort of specialty store.

[The Old Downtown Guy]

I appreciate your poll mranderson, but I think it should be limited to the short list that the city is working from rather than include a lot of non-contenders.

[mranderson]

The poll was designed to give OKC Talk members opinion. There are probably markets the city never thought of.

[Patrick]

Downtown?

I wouldn't mind locally-owned Crest downtown if it was made urban. Crest has awesome customer service, decent prices, and a good product.

[The Old Downtown Guy]

Aaaand . . . so far its Whole Foods by a length followed by Trader Joes. Someone Independent is on the rail in third and then the pack with Albertson's, Aldi and Tom Thumb trying to make a move on the outside. Bringing up the rear is Jack's favorite WaaaalMart. It looks like a real battle to the wire, and with only the final turn and the run to the finish line left to cover, it could be a photo finish.

[escan]

Trader Joes, then Central Market.

[metro]

I could see something more like Walgreen's or CVS opening up an urban shop somewhere in south downtown, maybe the Arts District near the Galleria parking garage? That would serve that growing residential district as well as people staying at downtown hotels. A grocery like Whole Foods or Central Market would be nice on Reno near the tracks in Bricktown. Lots of open land there for a store facing the street with parking behind. I'm thinking more of the north side of Reno, I think that large area of land around U-Haul would make a cool museum/science center site someday and should be saved for something BIG.

Only the arts district is more west downtown than south. South would be towards the river.

[Patrick]

There is the open lot directly west of Stage Center. Of course, you'd have the homeless population to deal with, since the City Rescue Mission is nearby.

[floater]

There is the open lot directly west of Stage Center. Of course, you'd have the homeless population to deal with, since the City Rescue Mission is nearby.

I heard that land is owned by Urban Renewal, and is being saved for a civic purpose such as a park, museum, or performing arts center, etc. They are most likely waiting for a signficant project to fill that space. IMHO, because it is next to that avant garde Stage Center, parking garage, and I-40/Crosstown Boulevard they want a real attention getter for that lot.

[Stinger]

This is a tad off topic, but how does ALDI make it in the Metro? I rarely see more than 3 or 4 cars in their parking lot at Penn & Memorial when I'm in the area.

[TheImmortal]

ALDI is a good store just not so much for America. They have them all over Germany and they are like a half CVS half Walmart Neighborhood Market just scaled down a bunch. The U.S. got the lesser version.

[keving]

I have a feeling that if we had a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or Wild Oats somewhere else in the city, that there would be no votes for those in downtown. I think people are wanting those stores in OKC, no matter where they are.

[blueice101]

Aldi is NOTHING like CVS or Neighborhood. It is a whole other concept. Most of the things they carry are their own label. They do bring in some name brands (it's about 30% name brand 70% own label). The problem is most people won't even bother to go because they think they're too good to rent a cart and bag their own groceries. But if you're looking at cost, then Aldi is the place to go.

[okcitian]

I was in Washington DC not too long ago. I was at Georgetown one day. And there happend to have an urban grocery. It was kinda small but the place was pretty upscale. They sold wine at the back, a really nice bakery, and also all sorts of chesses to choose from. The place was just next to a sidewalk, it was pretty urban. I just wish we had such a place in OKC yet we have laws over liquor/wine in grocery stores and all sorts of stuff.

[mranderson]

What is the big deal with this "organic" market? All they do is rip you off because they charge higher prices for food that has not been treated for pests. All you have to do is clean the food before prep, and it is safe. So why not build a supermarket that has a theme with reasonable prices (organic is not)?

[The Old Downtown Guy]

What is the big deal with this "organic" market? All they do is rip you off because they charge higher prices for food that has not been treated for pests. All you have to do is clean the food before prep, and it is safe. So why not build a supermarket that has a theme with reasonable prices (organic is not)?

I never cease to be amazed by the silly and inaccurate comments people occasionally make on this forum on subjects about which they obviously have absolute no knowledge. Such appears to be the case with your post mranderson. Saying that stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods are "ripping people off" is a pretty nasty accusation. Perhaps when you wrote that, you were just suffering from a pesticide residue induced bad hair day.

Yes, organically grown food items cost more in stores. It costs more to produce foods using certified organic methods. There is a very direct correlation. 91 octane gasoline costs more at the pump than 87 octane, but I haven't noticed people that drive cars with the higher performance engines requiring 91 octane fule complaining on public forums about the difference in price, or people that buy 87 octane fule suggesting that there should not be any 91 octane gasoline available to those that might want it.

No, you can't wash off or wash out many of the chemicals used in main stream agricultural practices such as growth hormones, to name just one. Your statement to the contrary is incorrect mranderson. There are also humane farming practices that organic food producers adhere to. If you think paying a few cents less for your dozen eggs or gallon of milk is worth subjecting chickens to having their beaks cut out and living in a cage that don't allow them to even stand, or raising cattle in concrete floored pens that cripple many of them is worth the cost savings, that's your choice. It's not the choice I make whenever I have a better option.

Here is a link to some scientific information regarding pestecides in food and the residual effects of eating non-organic foods.

http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2003/5754/abstract.html

The organic category is one of if not the fastest growing segment of the grocery industry and has been for some time. Perhaps there are reasons for this fact. Here is a link to a 1996 CNN story.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/indepth.fo...biz/index.html

There is a wealth of information easily available to anyone that wants to make an informed decision about the food they consume. So, eat what ever you want, shop where ever you want, but I for one think it would be nice if the people living in Oklahoma City had an increased opportunity to make up their own minds about what grocery items they purchase and where they buy them. If a grocery store that offers a wide variety of organically produced food items opens here, it will fail or succeed based on its acceptance by Oklahoma City shoppers. It is commonly called the market place in action.

I see no good reason to object to allowing the market place to make this decision. Do you mranderson?

[bandnerd]

And also--Trader Joes is NOT expensive. I have visited one a few times in Ventura, CA. I fell in love with the place as soon as I stepped in. The feel reminded me of a little grocery we had back home--you could smell the butcher area, there no blippy-laser things, and everything was inexpensive. Trader Joes has a lot of items, including some pre-made meals, that I would love to get my hands on but cannot.

mranderson--have you ever even tried to go organic? I buy organic milk at Wal-mart...yes, it is more expensive, but it tastes so much better. It is the only skim milk I can stand. It reminds me a lot of Braum's milk in a way, but organic. It also lasts forever.

And just an FYI for people that might be interested in purchasing organic beef--you can get it at Irma's Burger Shack

[mranderson]

"Saying that stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods are "ripping people off" is a pretty nasty accusation. Perhaps when you wrote that, you were just suffering from a pesticide residue induced bad hair day."

Tell me where I said Trader Joe's is ripping people off. It is not an organic market to the best of my knowledge. In fact, i have never been in one. Whole Foods, I have been in and the prices are obsene.

I guess you can waste your money if you wish. I will eat the reasonably priced food and just clean it before I prepare it.

By the way. I have eaten the same pesticide treated food for 51 years and am not dead yet. Funny. The way you people act, I should have been dead and totally dust by now.

BTW. I bet if you asked every person in this city, the majority would say they want the lower prices and could care less about the liberal's demand for higher pricedd food because it treated the way THEY think it should be. Plus, what proof do you have it is really "organic?" None. That is the answer.

[bandnerd]

I have to agree with what my dear hubby just said:

"I'd rather take my chances with something that might be grown organically than something I know for sure has been pumped full of poisons."

mranderson--of course I should have the right to buy food treated the way *I* think it should be treated. If you want to feed your body processed, hormone-fed, pesticide injected food, then that's your perogative and I don't really give a crap. However, if I want to eat organic food, and I'm not the only one who wants this, then I should have a chance to buy that as well. I can get a few things at the regular store, but not always produce. I'd love to have a store close to me that fits my needs. As it is, if I wanted "chicken paws" I could buy those, along with a bucket of fried chicken, at any of the markets near downtown.

And again, I have been to Trader Joe's. YES, they have organic products. Not everything there is, but they have more options than wal-mart. Ask someone who has ACTUALLY been there before making any kind of assumption. You just make yourself look like a fool doing that.