Downtown Grocery Store

[Pete]

Family Dollar is a guilty pleasure of mine. I love that store and I think some of it has to do with its layout reminding me of TG&Y. It's also a very handy store to have close by as they really do have a little of everything.

Haha... It IS like a TG&Y! I hadn't thought of that.

CVS and Walgreens are like modern day versions of TG&Y but Family Dollar is more like the old school version. A little of everything packed in tight on cheap shelving and usually pretty messy.


When I was last in town, I really needed some Advil and it was a great pleasure to walk through SoSA to that store and get exactly what I needed in no time flat, and for a decent price -- much better than a convenience store. I can see doing that sort of thing often and it's a million times easier than jumping in your car, parking, dealing with a big store and the inevitable check out lines... All for just a thing or two.

[chuck5815]

it would be amazing if the CBD could get a concept like Cosentinos. the one in downtown KC strikes the perfect balance between prepared food and generic grocery items.

Downtown | Cosentino's

[soonermike81]

it would be amazing if the CBD could get a concept like Cosentinos. the one in downtown KC strikes the perfect balance between prepared food and generic grocery items.

Downtown | Cosentino's

Yes, something like this would be awesome. Seems very similar to Jimmy's Food Store in Dallas. Many grocery items, but a huge deli for prepared foods as well. Some of the sandwiches at Jimmy's are amazing!

https://www.jimmysfoodstore.com/

[Brett]

Yes, something like this would be awesome. Seems very similar to Jimmy's Food Store in Dallas. Many grocery items, but a huge deli for prepared foods as well. Some of the sandwiches at Jimmy's are amazing!

https://www.jimmysfoodstore.com/

I can vouch that Jimmy's hot Italian beef sandwiches are excellent.

[soonermike81]

I can vouch that Jimmy's hot Italian beef sandwiches are excellent.

MMMM, with hot giardiniera! Closest thing I could find in Dallas to an actual Chicago Italian Beef sandwich.

[Jessica N]

Hi All - I received an email earlier this week informing me that representatives from Homeland would like community help completing the survey linked below in order to gain insight on how to make the Homeland at Classen and 18th more enjoyable to shoppers.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Homeland153

Please, please, please take the survey so that Homeland can capture our feedback and strive to better provide for the community's needs. Feel free to pass along the link as well!

[Canoe]

Done. Thank you for the link.

[Pete]

Thanks for that!

I completed the survey.

This is a good sign!

[bchris02]

I filled it out as well. Hopefully a renovation ends up happening!

[ljbab728]

Surely they have to understand that, if they are ever going to consider upgrading that store, it needs to be done before another one opens up anywhere in the downtown area.

[HangryHippo]

Yep. If a Sprouts pops up along Broadway or in Midtown, they're going to kill it and that Homeland will be in trouble.

[no1cub17]

I would just as soon that Homeland close down and a larger grocer move into midtown/AA/DD (but hopefully not at the expense of Native Roots!). That land (and parking lot) could be developed into a mixed use development that would be of far more benefit to everyone. Fantastic location so close to both midtown and plaza district.

[bchris02]

Steve posted this yesterday on his twitter.

"Downtown thinks it wants a Whole Foods. It needs an Uptown Market for Crest Foods. Locally owned better selections great service, pharmacies"

I agree with this and thing a mainline supermarket like Uptown Grocery or Crest Foods (conformed to urban standards) would be more beneficial than a Whole Foods.

A lot of people responded to their tweet saying that OKC doesn't need a supermarket downtown and instead should shoot for bodega-style corner stores. They said a full supermarket would simply make downtown more auto-centric. Personally I don't agree with this.

1) How can you get more auto-centric than the current situation where you have to drive from downtown out to NW Expressway for a quality grocer?

2) I don't believe OKC's population density is near high enough for bodega-style grocery shopping to work here. I could be wrong on that though. I think a supermarket within the next five years would be preferable to waiting 15-20 years for population density to reach the needed point for bodega-style shopping.

A supermarket also doesn't need to be in downtown proper to serve the downtown market. An Uptown Grocery or Crest in Midtown, on 23rd, or on Classen would be a huge step forward for the entire urban core. Broadway might also be a good location north of Automobile Alley headed towards 23rd.

[LakeEffect]

I thought his tweet and basis of analysis was odd. If local = better selections/great service, then I'd be shopping at the Homeland at 18th & Classen every time we needed groceries... Whole Foods has fantastic service and I like their selection. Rarely do they NOT have something we need.

He's got a point on the pharmacy angle though.

[bchris02]

I thought his tweet and basis of analysis was odd. If local = better selections/great service, then I'd be shopping at the Homeland at 18th & Classen every time we needed groceries... Whole Foods has fantastic service and I like their selection. Rarely do they NOT have something we need.

He's got a point on the pharmacy angle though.

Homeland is a very, very poorly run local grocer though. If OKC had Reasor's instead, people wouldn't have the same complaints. Local doesn't always equal better, but I believe the newer Crests and Uptown Market stores can hold their own against the nice mainline grocery stores common in other cities.

[Pete]

There is a pharmacy at Homeland, St. Anthony Hospital, and Walgreens and CVS at 23rd and Classen.

What we don't have is a full-service, quality grocery store.

I don't think anyone gives a flip if it's local or not, just like a CVS or Walgreens would be warmly welcomed in the heart of downtown.

People living down here would do cartwheels for Trader Joe's, Sprouts or Whole Foods.

[bchris02]

There is a pharmacy at Homeland, St. Anthony Hospital, and Walgreens and CVS at 23rd and Classen.

What we don't have is a full-service, quality grocery store.

I don't think anyone gives a flip if it's local or not, just like a CVS or Walgreens would be warmly welcomed in the heart of downtown.

People living down here would do cartwheels for Trader Joe's, Sprouts or Whole Foods.

Looking at some of the old posts on this board, people were saying the same things 10 years ago in regards to a grocery store downtown. It's hard to believe we are almost in 2016 and with all the development over the past decade downtown that a grocery store has not been part of the equation.

Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Sprouts would all be very welcome additions to downtown as would Uptown Market or Crest. At this point, I would even support a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market as long as it conformed to urban standards.

[Pete]

An urban Braum's would be awesome but that's never going to happen.

I'd settle for a renovation of their Classen location, which is every bit as bad as the Homeland across the street.

[catch22]

BTW, who is Steve to speak for what downtown 'needs' vs. what it 'think it wants'?

He lives in far north OKC.

Good grief.

Downtown needs: reliable hours, consistent pricing, predictable product options, a clean shopping experience.

If that is Crest.. Fine. If that is Whole Foods.. Fine. If that is a renovated and upgraded Homeland... Fine. But the bottom line is someone needs to step up and provide a clean grocery store with consistent hours and predictable products and pricing.

[Anonymous.]

Honestly I would rather a CVS or Walgreens than Wholefoods.

I want somewhere I can buy toothpaste, sunscreen, batteries. Random things that you would wish you could run down the street and get.

[bchris02]

Honestly I would rather a CVS or Walgreens than Wholefoods.

I want somewhere I can buy toothpaste, sunscreen, batteries. Random things that you would wish you could run down the street and get.

When I was in Dallas a couple of weekends ago, I saw this development and thought it would be perfect somewhere in OKC. It's also of a scale and scope appropriate for a city the size of OKC. I don't see why a development like this couldn't be built.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Honestly I would rather a CVS or Walgreens than Wholefoods.

I want somewhere I can buy toothpaste, sunscreen, batteries. Random things that you would wish you could run down the street and get.

When there was rumblings of a CVS going into the Oklahoma new building I was so excited. Then nothing..

[bchris02]

When there was rumblings of a CVS going into the Oklahoma new building I was so excited. Then nothing..

Yeah they pulled out because there are not enough rooftops.

I wonder how many rooftops are needed downtown to be enough? Downtown Norman for crying out lout has a Sprouts and a CVS.

[MagzOK]

Whoever lives in the downtown area, I recommend hand-writing different companies corporate customer service departments and ask them your questions. Include different corners and intersections you think one of their stores would go well on. When I was 13 my family moved to Dallas from Midland and the nearest grocery was miles from our new house. I wrote letters to three major grocers in the city suggesting the corner at the mile closest to our house. I received three packets back, one from each, with explanations as to why the location wouldn't work and/or why they put their stores where they do. Albertson's sent me a bunch of stuff including maps of the city where they were looking to expand, etc. I know this was years ago, but handwritten still goes a lot further than electronic to some companies. You may find out just why nobody has moved into the downtown area.

[Spartan]

Looking at some of the old posts on this board, people were saying the same things 10 years ago in regards to a grocery store downtown. It's hard to believe we are almost in 2016 and with all the development over the past decade downtown that a grocery store has not been part of the equation

Yup. Very little has changed all along regarding the downtown discussion. These old ideas keep cycling back around, too..