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Monday, May 7, 2012
Kroger opens new model store in old Elliott’s Hardware space
First one in the Dallas market.
Produce section at new Kroger
DALLAS — Kroger opened its first "Fresh Fare" store in Dallas on May 4 in the space that was previously Elliott's Hardware, across the street from Maple & Motor.
The store, which has 73,000 square feet, has features that make it more like a Whole Foods or a Central Market than a regular supermarket. That includes a big commitment to Texas-grown produce; more than 100 USDA-certified organic fruits and vegetables; and a bulk-food area with more than 100 bins of nuts, granola, seeds, snack mixes, spices, teas, and nut butters.
Olive bar at new Kroger
A large prepared-food area includes a Boar's Head sandwich shop as well as chef-prepared entrées, vegetables, and salads. There's also a sushi counter and a tortilleria that puts out five flavors of tortillas. A salad bar area has soups, olives, and antipasta, and there's a cheese shop with more than 100 cheeses. (It is not, however, a Murray's cheese shop, the prestigious New York cheesemonger with which Kroger has a partnership. According to Kroger VP Gary Huddleston, the partnership limits the number of Murray's in a market, and Dallas-Fort Worth already has three: at the store on Mockingbird and Greenville, in Irving, and in Fort Worth.)
At the entrance, there's a Starbucks shop, which has its own designated parking.
The store has initiated a big recycling program and will install electric vehicle charging stations later this year. Lights in the frozen food area go dim when there are no customers, lighting up when they detect movement.
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The store boasts a number of new design elements including a "squared-off" produce area that's more open and easier to see in one stroke. The checkout area has a new separate section dedicated to smaller orders.
North Texas has one other Fresh Fare store in Fort Worth, near TCU. The closest Kroger to this store is about 3 miles away on Cedar Springs, said Kroger spokeswoman Kristal Howard.
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FirstDate, anonymous:
is this also what they'll be opening (it's under construction now) on haskell at cityplace, across from the target?
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
FirstDate, excellent question and that is information I should have included in my story - the Cityplace store WILL be a Fresh Fare. It'll be the second Fresh Fare market in Dallas. Exciting!
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adkim, anonymous:
are the prices lower than WF and CM on comparable items?
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acertified6, anonymous:
I think that has to be the dumbest location that they could have chosen! That is a real BAD area!
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
adkim, sorry, i just saw your comment - prices are lower than WF and CM (which isn't that hard to do, since both of those places are high)
a certified6, you don't get the sense that the neighborhood is in transition? i saw a fancy apartment bldg nearby and the hospital provides a big customer base
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SitizenKane, anonymous:
The folks at Kroger are impressively smart; taking their stores in this direction.
I walked thru an Albertson's for the first time (in a long while) I was shocked at how much of the food asile space was being used to display crap ! Cans and boxes of processed crap.
For the big chains they will have to amp up their game in the fresh and local department if they plan to be around to see another decade.
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
SitizenKane, i feel bad for Albertsons. i remember a decade ago when they were a decent chain, but they were basically decimated after being split up for parts in 2006. the stores in DFW are owned by an investment firm that doesn't seem interested in caretaking the business
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jasonbecker71, anonymous:
I'm happy Kroger is there. Additionally, the new Haskell store should be a great, infill location - there are several upscale apartment projects and new retail within proximity.
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OEsophagus, anonymous:
We people who live in "bad" areas need to grocery stores, too. If we don't have them, we are forced to mug you for your organic celery. And eat your children.
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Granny, anonymous:
AND...we geezers visit the area to eat at the Bar and Grill across the street, or at Maple and Motor. For the life of me, I can't figure out what's "BAD" about that area. We've never felt unsafe there.
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production9342, anonymous:
Dear Kroger management: Please come to Casa Linda, Please,PLEASE take over the Albertsons space....it is the most terrible place to shop in Dallas. All our neighbors refer to it as "the store you can get in, but you can't get out". T H E W O R S T !!!! Please come to us!!!! P L E E Z Z E !!!
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mremanne, anonymous:
I visited the new Kroger store a couple of days ago and was amazed at what an up-scale place they installed. The store is really beautiful inside, with open rows of everything you can imagine. As for the safety factor in that part of the neighborhood, I did notice a security guard riding around on a Segway in the parking lot. I don't know if that's just for the Grand Opening or not, but it looked cool! Of course, a woman was raped and stabbed right around the corner on Maple just the other day, so you have to take that into consideration too. Teresa IS right about the change in the economic demographic of the area though. This store can only be a plus for that continued change.
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asb090269, anonymous:
This store sound fabulous! Any plans for any others in the Metroplex? I live in Colleyville and both of these are a little too far to shop in regularly, though I suspect I'll be taking a field trip in the near future!
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Teresa Gubbins, staff:
asb090269, so far the only other store they've identified as being a Fresh Fare will be the one at Cityplace on Haskell Avenue in Dallas
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What do you think?