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Hanging Out at the Grocery Store: Yea or Nay?

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Started 1 year ago by Walker
Latest reply from LATFJoss

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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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There's a Dispatch article today that highlights a trend that's been growing for the past decade or so... grocery stores that aim to lure shoppers into dining, drinking and hanging out:

New hangout supermarket
Sunday, March 20, 2011
BY TRACY TURNER
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The groceries drew them into the store. But the music, drinks, dinner and dancing made the Bexley couple turn their weekly shopping trip into a night on the town.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/03/20/new-hangout-supermarket.html?sid=101

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My question is... does this sound like an appealing thing to folks here on CU? Are certain stores better than others for this type of thing? Is there a generational difference in who this appeals to (young professionals vs baby boomers)?

I've had lunch at the Brewery District Kroger, but never dinner or drinks. I've also combined entertainment with shopping many times at the North Market.

Just curious as to what everyone's take is on this trend?

Posted 1 year ago #
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
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When we lived (and worked from home) in Pasadena with no air conditioning we would hang out in the freezer section every day, but I don't think that grocery store was intending on that or wanted us to.

Posted 1 year ago #
rus

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See a lot of people apparently hanging out at whole foods when I'm in there...

Posted 1 year ago #
AmyJ

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Uh, no thanks. I'm kind of grossed out by the grocery store smell, so I like to get my stuff and get out as soon as possible.

Posted 1 year ago #
0Angle
A brewery or my kitchen or my bicycle.
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I consider it luxurious to go grocery shopping sans kids, and treasure every moment of it (did it today!) I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t eat there, drink there or hang out there, though. Even if I had nothing else to do, I wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t prioritize it. A facebook Ã¢â‚¬Å“friendÃ¢â‚¬Â performs at the BrewerÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Yard Kroger regularly, and seems to think itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a pretty good gig...

Posted 1 year ago #
gambino
USA
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My husband and I are in our late 30's and love to go to Whole Foods for lunch or dinner and a glass of wine on a Saturday. The wine tastings are also fun and educational. We always end up getting something to make for later at home.

We tried the newer Giant Eagle in Upper Arlington last weekend. The food options are great! The store offers a lot of samples if you just want to walk around and check out the massive selection. For a late lunch my husband tried a stirfry and I had a few selections from one of the 2 hot food bars. We were tempted by the hand made pizzas and calzones, but decided to take home a huge Italian sub for dinner.

The only thing that disappoints us about this store is that if you buy a wine tasting card you are limited to 10 oz of wine for the day. This means each person has to get their own card which we didn't realize. GE also makes you stay in the dining area while drinking, so you cannot walk around and shop. This wasn't a big deal to us as we were eating lunch, but it is worth mentioning. We had bought a wine tasting card with $20 on it and used about $7 because we had reached the 10 oz limit. FYI, the card is good for future visits.

To answer the question-- Yes, my husband and I love hanging out at specialty grocery stores. My favorites in no particular order are Weiland's, Whole Foods (Sawmill), Hills Market, Giant Eagle (UA) the North Market and Carfagna's. The Kroger in the Brewery District is by work and I've been there on a Friday during lunch to hear music and grab a bite or coffee. I'd like to try their happy hour sometime soon. I'd love to hear of other markets where people hang out.

Posted 1 year ago #
cbus11

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Kroger in Grandview tries hard with cheese and wine tasting on some Fridays. They also have also had free evening OSU themed cookouts in the parking lot. It looks more like the PTA set*, but the CU userbase is aging. ;)

*honestly they looked like they were having fun, and may not have felt as comfortable in a bar or restuarant setting. Grocery stores are pretty casual, neighbor oriented affairs, and children are part of that territory.

.

I have heard that the GE in Upper Arlington is the place to go, but have not been there yet.

Posted 1 year ago #
columbusfoodie
West Side
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Considering where I've spent the last month, hanging out at the grocery store is a dream come true. Really.

I like Market District, and the patio at Hills Market.

Posted 1 year ago #
lazyfish

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City Market in Austin is an amazing grocery store and the restaurant is excellent. We would go there for lunch and dinner all the time. The strip mall nature of the joint is a bit of a bring down.

Posted 1 year ago #
zp945
Clintonville/Short North
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Would I hang out at the Giant Eagle on Neil Ave? Not if you paid me. I do spend more time in the Market District or Whole Foods than a normal grocery and I hang out at the North Market regularly. I like food, shopping for it, cooking it, eating it. Give me a reason to stay and I probably will.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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I agree that the Neil Ave, VV Giant Eagle is in need of a redux. I do think this is a growing trend, especially as the YP crowd becomes more family oriented. Maybe Bodega will start carrying groceries...

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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gambino wrote >>
The only thing that disappoints us about this store is that if you buy a wine tasting card you are limited to 10 oz of wine for the day. This means each person has to get their own card which we didn't realize. GE also makes you stay in the dining area while drinking, so you cannot walk around and shop. This wasn't a big deal to us as we were eating lunch, but it is worth mentioning. We had bought a wine tasting card with $20 on it and used about $7 because we had reached the 10 oz limit. FYI, the card is good for future visits.

I seem to recall the self-serve wine dispenser at House Wine in Worthington having the same type of built-in cut-off limit. I imagine it's designed to keep people from drinking and driving, but doesn't take into consideration that you may have a designated driver or another non-driving means of getting home.

I guess the work-around is to drink wine somewhere else other than at the grocery store. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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0Angle wrote >>
I consider it luxurious to go grocery shopping sans kids, and treasure every moment of it (did it today!) I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t eat there, drink there or hang out there, though. Even if I had nothing else to do, I wouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t prioritize it.

We're in the same boat. Anne and I usually take turns with the grocery runs later at night when one of us can go out and the other stays home after they're asleep. Always nice to have some away time, but have never considered dining/drinking at the grocery store while there. Hrm.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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cc wrote >>
I do think this is a growing trend, especially as the YP crowd becomes more family oriented.

Maybe this is just me, but I feel like the eating-at-the-grocery-store trend is something that was made to appeal more to baby boomers and empty nesters. People who want to go out for a glass of wine, dinner and some live jazz in a comfortable, familiar, safe environment with ample parking and in a location relatively close to home.

As a young person with young children, I don't see eating at the BD Kroger or Whole Foods to be something appealing to do as a family outing. Though the North Market is a regular outing for us as a family, for the same type of appeal, so I guess there's something there in certain venues? Hrm...

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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You should give it a shot sometime. I have several early 'thirty something' (what is the YP cutoff?) friends who consider it a guilty pleasure without the guilt. They also have no issue with bringing the little ones. I think the scary part is that we subconsciously associate such activity as putting on the 'mommy jeans'.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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cc wrote >>
You should give it a shot sometime. I have several 'thirty something' (what is the YP cutoff?) friends who consider it a guilty pleasure without the guilt. They also have no issue with bringing the little ones.

No idea on the yp thing... ;)

But I kind of feel like if I want to go out to dinner, have one drink, and bring the kids, there are plenty of restaurants that work for that. And if I want to go out without the kids, then there are even more places on my list.

To each his or her own... I'm not knocking it, per se... just trying to better understand the appeal.

Posted 1 year ago #
cc

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You need to learn how to multitask... ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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zp945 wrote >>
Would I hang out at the Giant Eagle on Neil Ave? Not if you paid me. I do spend more time in the Market District or Whole Foods than a normal grocery and I hang out at the North Market regularly. I like food, shopping for it, cooking it, eating it. Give me a reason to stay and I probably will.

Agree with this. It's not for my every day grocery shopping, but often if shopping for a party, or big holiday meal, I'll meet with a pal or two, have dinner at the store (generally the Market District), and do our shopping together. It's fun. I know that's weird for some folks, but eh. It feels more efficient. I need groceries. I need dinner.

Also, for me, having had a super deluxe Wegman's as my grocery for years & years, it's part of The Way Things Are Done. Wegman's remodeled sometime in the mid 90's and had a large food court and place to eat - we'd often have lunch there on a Saturday, then do our shopping.

Posted 1 year ago #
10sun
Columbus, OH
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Walker wrote >>

gambino wrote >>
The only thing that disappoints us about this store is that if you buy a wine tasting card you are limited to 10 oz of wine for the day. This means each person has to get their own card which we didn't realize. GE also makes you stay in the dining area while drinking, so you cannot walk around and shop. This wasn't a big deal to us as we were eating lunch, but it is worth mentioning. We had bought a wine tasting card with $20 on it and used about $7 because we had reached the 10 oz limit. FYI, the card is good for future visits.

I seem to recall the self-serve wine dispenser at House Wine in Worthington having the same type of built-in cut-off limit. I imagine it's designed to keep people from drinking and driving, but doesn't take into consideration that you may have a designated driver or another non-driving means of getting home.
I guess the work-around is to drink wine somewhere else other than at the grocery store. ;)

It has something to do with the legal definitions of wine tastings and what permits(or lack of) you need to offer a tasting.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4301%3A1-1-30

Posted 1 year ago #
racheltb
clintonville
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I go to the north market for lunch almost as often as I do for groceries. I regularly eat at whole foods for lunch during a sawmill-road-from-hell shopping extravaganza. I've had a few meetings at whole foods in the dining area too.

I don't seek out grocery stores as a dining and hang out destination but I do appreciate and use the food services when they save me time or, more often, my daughter says she is hungry.

Posted 1 year ago #