Is Downtown Ready for an Urban Grocery Store?

[77danj7]

I am actually eating a banana right now from Publix and it is subpar.

[Lucasjj]

Since bananas are the hot topic here...the one I ate this morning was from Beaver Street Farmers' Market and it was great. Best of all they were selling for 8 for a dollar yesterday.

As for this thread, I do my shopping at the Riverside Publix beacuse it is the closest to me. However, in trying to check out more core neighborhoods, I drove around the downtown Winn Dixie parking lot yesterday. In my brief pass through, the outisde was very similar to the Riverside Publix to me. It seemed to have a mix crowd and a couple sketchy/pan handler types to the side, but i didn't see much difference between the two from the outside. I know that my short pass through doesn't show much, but I am more open to the idea of trying it in the future to get more of a perspective of the place.

[exnewsman]

I recently visited the W-D at Baymeadows and 9A and the experience from a customer service perspective was remarkable.  Everywhere I went in the store someone was stopping to ask if I needed anything, etc.  It was clean. The restrooms were like a nice restaurant. It was all terrific.  It showed me that W-D is obviously making an effort to change the culture that permeated their stores.

I typically shop at the Riverside Publix as I live across the street - no need to go anywhere else. Nonetheless, W-D is making great strides based on what I've observed.  I've also seen improvements in the Southside/Baymeadows W-D store as well - cleaner, friendly, nicer uniforms, upgraded food selections, etc.

Just my 2 cents.

[reednavy]

I've driven through there many times and never saw a store in Bristol....now the Piggly Wiggly website does list one and it does show up on the Streetview of Google maps...but on the aerial, the site is vacant....maybe its a new store?

It is relatively new.

FYI, one of the family members that founded PW lives here, I believe in Avondale. She is a nice old lady and is loaded beyond imagination beacuse of Piggly Wiggly.

[stjr]

FYI, one of the family members that founded PW lives here, I believe in Avondale. She is a nice old lady and is loaded beyond imagination beacuse of Piggly Wiggly.

I am guessing you are referring to Betsy Lovett, a very generous philanthropist  and prominent member of the community in Jax.  See the story I previously posted in this thread about the Lovett family founding the beginning of part of Winn-Dixie (at one time, Winn-Lovett) and owning 200 Piggly Wiggly stores and presiding over the franchising corporation.  Not to mention owning the shipyards, etc.

Donna Diamante dalle Ore, Larry Lovett, and Betsy Lovett

Below is the picture caption from the New York Social Diary coverage of a party in Italy. I note she supports historic renovations so maybe should could help save what's left in Jax along with heritage sites in Italy.  :

Photographed at the Villa Coin outside Asolo. From left: Signora alle Ore is the owner of Villa Barbaro where she and her husband played hosts to the Venetian Heritage friends one Monday night. One of Palladio’s greatest villas, built in the mid-1500s, was purchased by Diamante’s grandfather Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata in 1934. From then on, the family, especially Diamante’s mother Marina embarked on restoration of the beautiful property. Although she has siblings, Diamante, as she is called, was most passionately interested in the preservation and maintaining of Villa Barbaro which sits on a knoll in the village of Mazer.

In the center of the photo is Larry Lovett, the chairman of Venetian Heritage and one of the major forces in bringing people together and raising funds. Mr. Lovett, an American who has lived much of his adult life in Europe, for years, up until recently, was the proud owner of a palazzo on the Grand Canal. He has long been actively involved in restoration not only in Venice but all over the world.

On the right: Betsy Lovett, widow of Larry’s brother. A very outgoing and gracious woman, Mrs. Lovett is a longtime resident of Jacksonville although she has lots of friends in New York, and has been involved in the restorations for many years also. While some of us are slow to warm to “new” people, Betsy Lovett is quick to warm and to spread that warmth.
http://www.newyorksocialdiary.com/node/1978

[CrysG]

You only think it tastes better because you didn't have to wait in line with a blue collar worker in front of you.   

That's so very false it's funny...my father in law is a retired janitor and he shops at Publix. Why? Quality. 

[civil42806]

You only think it tastes better because you didn't have to wait in line with a blue collar worker in front of you.   

That's so very false it's funny...my father in law is a retired janitor and he shops at Publix. Why? Quality. 

Sometimes a Chiquita Bananna is just a Chiquita Bananna

[sheclown]

I'm all about Food Lion.  Personally, I can't handle the selection available at Publix.  I walk out of there with all sorts of expensive exotic items.

[ProjectMaximus]

Sometimes a Chiquita Bananna is just a Chiquita Bananna

And sometimes it's a banana.

[reednavy]

That's so very false it's funny...my father in law is a retired janitor and he shops at Publix. Why? Quality. 

Sarcasm anyone?

[JaxNole]

I'm grateful to have access to the NAS Commissary on Roosevelt, but when I need a quick item, it's a matter of economics for me.

I live in Riverside.  I can walk or drive to the Riverside Publix, wait in line for 5 minutes and spend more (I have a log of every food item I have purchased in the past 3 months, so I have sufficient data to say for my needs, Publix is more expensive) or go to a Winn-Dixie downtown or on Normandy.  If the prices beat Publix's, then I stock up and save more.

My average Commissary bill, though, averages at least 30% less than any other grocery outlet.

[CrysG]

I'm grateful to have access to the NAS Commissary on Roosevelt, but when I need a quick item, it's a matter of economics for me.

My average Commissary bill, though, averages at least 30% less than any other grocery outlet.

Amen

[urbanlibertarian]

I visited the DT Winn-Dixie this afternoon.  It was a very pleasant experience.

[stjr]

Fleet of trucks with drivers for Winn Lovett:



Workers in the tabulating department of Winn Lovett:



Women working a coffee bar at the Lovett's Food Store on McDuff Avenue : Jacksonville, Florida picture: