Parking is definitely easier at the Mariano's on Ashland. You can enter from Webster or from Ashland and they do have cart escalators. The Chicago Ave one is still nice, but it's clearly not aimed at drivers. It's perfect for me on my way home to hop off the bus, grab some staples, and hop back on the bus.

Hi- I have been ti the Mariano's on Roscoe/Western, and the one in Northfield, and I much prefer the one in Northfield. The parking lot on Roscoe is an accident waiting to happen, but the one in Northfield is no worse than either one of the Jewels I visit in WIlmette and Evanston. It is semi convenient for me too. I work up in Winnetka on Saturday mornings, and so when the outdoor Evanston farmer's market closes in November, I might end up making a trip to Mariano's once a month. I love Mariano's but with the price of gas right now, I don't think I would make a special trip up there from where I live in Evanston. When they get the Mariano's built on Touhy and McCormick, that store will be a little more convenient for me.

Mariano's produce section is way better than Jewel's, and their prices are reasonable on produce.

Thought I posted this already but didn't see it. For the Ashland store, they won't let you make a left out of the parking lot--was a bit confused (and irritated) at the prospect of being directed the opposite direction of where I needed to go upon leaving with no real way to get back on a northern track. Asked in the store and they told me that you can go up and immediately down the ramp in the garage and out onto Webster. A sign in the lot or at the entrance or exit of the store would be helpful.

boudreaulicious wrote:Thought I posted this already but didn't see it. For the Ashland store, they won't let you make a right out of the parking lot--was a bit confused (and irritated) at the prospect of being directed the opposite direction of where I needed to go upon leaving with no real way to get back on a northern track.

This is probably one of those things that I won't fully grasp until I experience it for myself, but when you say they won't let you make a right, do you mean they won't let you make a left? Usually from parking lots without a traffic light onto busy streets, the left turn is the one that's prohibited. Also, being allowed to make a left out of the parking lot onto Ashland would put you on the northern track you want to be on. But on the other hand, I don't know you to make a lot of verbal mistakes, so I'm confused.

Well, the building going up at Willow and Sanders I had thought would be a Mariano's but it turns out is an LA Fitness

riddlemay wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Thought I posted this already but didn't see it. For the Ashland store, they won't let you make a right out of the parking lot--was a bit confused (and irritated) at the prospect of being directed the opposite direction of where I needed to go upon leaving with no real way to get back on a northern track.

This is probably one of those things that I won't fully grasp until I experience it for myself, but when you say they won't let you make a right, do you mean they won't let you make a left? Usually from parking lots without a traffic light onto busy streets, the left turn is the one that's prohibited. Also, being allowed to make a left out of the parking lot onto Ashland would put you on the northern track you want to be on. But on the other hand, I don't know you to make a lot of verbal mistakes, so I'm confused.

Corrected.

Who is buying that $11.99/lb ground lamb?
It is ~$5/lb almost everywhere else.

The Mariano's in Aurora opened last month. I had high hopes, given the raves on this forum. Sadly, it reminded me of a Dominick's. Ok, the Dominick's of old but still, nothing special. They do have a coffee bar (lost on me) and a hot food station and an olive bar, upgrades to a Dominick's for sure. I guess I was expecting a lot more given the reviews of the other stores.

I respect that Mariano's has bought/built a lot of stores in the last year or so, and need to open these stores and start generating revenue. I fear, however, that this mid-level store concept is facing the same difficulties as casual dining: being squeezed from the top and the bottom with Meijer/WalMart superstores on the lower end, and Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Standard Market on the higher end. All of these stores are in the neighborhood, along with a Cermak Grocery, Jewel, and a little further afield, Caputo's.

I hope they do well and eventually up their game. Even the Aurora store employees asked me if I'd been to the Wheaton store.....

Based on what I've seen at the few stores I've gone to, they're definitely providing different versions of their "brand" based on location. I find the store on Western and Roscoe to be a very different (and more Jewel-like) experience than those on Lawrence or Ashland which remind me of a store I used to love when I lived in Orlando, called Gooding's. To me, these stores are, at least superficially, a cut above the mid-level store--a more upscale experience, if you will. Not specialized like a Whole Foods or TJs or even Standard Market. Think "Nordstrom" (in the old days) v. Macy's (now).

Not necessarily what I want these days--I want a great ethnic ingredients selection, terrific produce and both variety and quality in the meat dept. Not hot food bars, harps and gelato. But I can see how a lot of people would love that AND the ability to get 10 boxes of Mac & Cheese for a buck. I think they may do ok. I do think it's kind of interesting how they're picking and choosing where they do the "best" stores and where they stick to a more pedestrian model. Kind of confusing from a branding perspective as we are seeing on this thread.

boudreaulicious wrote:Based on what I've seen at the few stores I've gone to, they're definitely providing different versions of their "brand" based on location. I find the store on Western and Roscoe to be a very different (and more Jewel-like) experience than those on Lawrence or Ashland which remind me of a store I used to love when I lived in Orlando, called Gooding's. To me, these stores are, at least superficially, a cut above the mid-level store--a more upscale experience, if you will. Not specialized like a Whole Foods or TJs or even Standard Market. Think "Nordstrom" (in the old days) v. Macy's (now).

Not necessarily what I want these days--I want a great ethnic ingredients selection, terrific produce and both variety and quality in the meat dept. Not hot food bars, harps and gelato. But I can see how a lot of people would love that AND the ability to get 10 boxes of Mac & Cheese for a buck. I think they may do ok. I do think it's kind of interesting how they're picking and choosing where they do the "best" stores and where they stick to a more pedestrian model. Kind of confusing from a branding perspective as we are seeing on this thread.

It's a business with a big target on its back. It took the area by storm but it's not as if the competition isn't going to try to face the challenge. For Roundy's, it's really make-or-break time because they are in serious financial $hit, so much so that they had to suspend their dividend to pay for the Dominick's acquisitions. They can't afford to screw up which means constant refining and responding to the market, so it's definitely still a work in progress. Fairway had their IPO and announced ambitious plans to expand nationally - which would be serious competition in this market. Although Fairway has serious financial problems also.

So the Mariano's mold has yet to be broken as they wait and see what works, what doesn't and how the other chains will try to meet the challenge.

I'm not in retail grocery marketing so I'm sure there's an angle I'm not understanding but just from a purely consumer perspective, I'm curious why they wouldn't have tried to just nail the upscale-but-mainstream (Nordstrom) grocery experience in locations where this would be marketable--that seems like a niche that is truly open to exploit if there's a market for it (which I can only assume there is or they wouldn't be doing it). But by buying so many stores, many of them in locations where the upscale thing might not make sense, means they have stores with very different personalities, all under the same name. To me, that's likely to bug the crap out of consumers, just as we've seen on this thread where some folks go to their local, only to find that it's nothing like the stores that others have in their neighborhoods. Would be interested to hear what the objective is behind doing this...maybe they had to buy some locations to get others? Factored into the price somehow? If so, wouldn't it have made more sense to have the "Jewel" type stores go under a different brand name?

According to an employee I talked to, they're really trying to tailor the store to the neighborhood: oyster bar & wine bar in Rogers Park (or somewhere in the city), kosher on the north side, etc. I guess they can brand their stores sort of generically (for the flyers every week), and then go after the niche markets more locally.

But it will still be sort of a half/half kind of experience. Once everyone gets used to the store in the neighborhood, I hope it will work out for everybody -- them and us!

boudreaulicious wrote:I'm not in retail grocery marketing so I'm sure there's an angle I'm not understanding but just from a purely consumer perspective, I'm curious why they wouldn't have tried to just nail the upscale-but-mainstream (Nordstrom) grocery experience in locations where this would be marketable--that seems like a niche that is truly open to exploit if there's a market for it (which I can only assume there is or they wouldn't be doing it). But by buying so many stores, many of them in locations where the upscale thing might not make sense, means they have stores with very different personalities, all under the same name. To me, that's likely to bug the crap out of consumers, just as we've seen on this thread where some folks go to their local, only to find that it's nothing like the stores that others have in their neighborhoods. Would be interested to hear what the objective is behind doing this...maybe they had to buy some locations to get others? Factored into the price somehow? If so, wouldn't it have made more sense to have the "Jewel" type stores go under a different brand name?

Even a chain as mundane as Jewel varies from store to store. Sometimes a lot.

Well never mind then I guess.

The Jewel on Howard and McCormick caters to the ultra orthodox population, and is totally different than the one on Chicago Avenue in Evanston. There are also some Jewels that cater to the Hispanic population.

stevez wrote:Even a chain as mundane as Jewel varies from store to store. Sometimes a lot.

But Safeway couldn't seem to figure that out with Dominick's, which, in my opinion, led to its downfall.
Local brands definitely disappeared from shelves, for one, right after the takeover years ago. (Having trouble coming up with specifics, though)

I wasn't talking about stocking different products though--or even that there aren't differences in the layout or size of various Jewels--I was referring to what I perceive Mariano's trying to do with vastly different levels of store amenities--but only in some stores, and not in others. There may be newer, more modern Jewels in some locations--but they essentially offer the same amenities (deli counter, standard bakery, standard produce section, standard meat counter)--no pianos, BBQ stations, Olive Oil bars, in-store dining options, etc.) If there are Jewels out there offering those things, I've yet to visit them. I was merely wondering why Roundy's would have both the more standard, mid-level grocery and the upscale, higher level stores under the same brand name. To me, that's confusing.

Hi- The Jewel that I mentioned on Howard/McCormick, is right on the Evanston/W Rogers Park boarder, and there are a ton of ultra orthodox people in W. Rogers Park. They have a kosher chinese take out in the store, and they have a kosher dairy, meat, deli and frozen section, along with a conventional section of those departments. the Kosher deli and butcher are not open on Sabbath. I think there are a few Jewel stores that have an extensive take out like Mariano's does, and have a dining area where you can eat it. I know a few years ago, some of the Chicago area bloggers were given a tour of three or four of the Jewel stores in the Chicago area, including the one on Howard/McCormick, and the store with the dining area.

stevez wrote:Even a chain as mundane as Jewel varies from store to store. Sometimes a lot.

So does Costco. For instance their Melrose Pk store leans Hispanic while the 1400 S Ashland store leans Asian. In order to be successful you have to be aware of the demographics in your area and cater to them.

I know I read somewhere that the Mariano's stores that took over old Dominick's locations may get more things added over time. The Edgewater location at Foster and Sheridan is supposed to get additional remodeling/amenities over the next year. I don't believe every store is meant to have every feature though.

I was a bit disappointed on a recent visit to the Northfield/Willow Rd store. On a Saturday afternoon at 5 pm, they were out of celery and I learned that they do not even carry chicken livers, which seems very odd for grocery store that wants to be a contender. The Chicago Mix popcorn that's available at some stores (Chicago and Damen, for one) is not available in Northfield. Even though they pop their own corn in Northfield, only the plain/oversalted/too dry variety is available. Fyi, that's not how it's labeled.

House-made sausages (available at the meat counter) are solid and many of the available varieties are tasty novelties, like giardiniera sausage and philly cheesesteak sausage. Respectable, good flavor, nice bind but a few other varieties that were available just a few weeks ago no longer are. I was unable to fully understand if they're no longer made at all, not made in this store or are rotated in and out on various days. I'm not sure the person I asked knew the answer. But the varieties we did buy - brats, spicy Italian, aforementioned giardiniera were good.

While at the meat counter, a woman who bought some pre-marinated chicken breasts and raw, sausage-stuffed mushroom caps proudly declared "I'm cooking tonight!" Oy *smacks foreheard*. I guess for some folks, that's cooking. And this, I believe, is who this store is geared toward.

At the deli, the person waiting on me didn't know what mortadella was. I found this odd because in my world, it doesn't seem like you'd have to be around food much at all to know this. But what this person lacked in experience, he and his superior (who did know what mortadella was) both made up for in niceness. We worked it out, and left the counter with the chunk we needed, as well as a couple of taster slices to enjoy there on the spot.

On the way home from Mariano's, we stopped at Garden Fresh in Northbrook/Skokie Blvd. and picked up the chicken livers and the celery. It was clear, as we knew it was from the start, that we could have bought everything we needed at Garden Fresh. But we'd never been to the Northfield Mariano's, were in the neighborhood, and wanted to give it a shot. It's certainly a step up from the Dominick's that formerly occupied this space. And, if I needed something very basic and was in the area, I'd probably stop in again but the store did not seem to be the kind of place where serious shoppers and cooks go for their goods. As has been detailed upthread, not all Mariano's are created equally, so maybe another location would be a better fit for me.

=R=

Hi- I was at a town hall meeting that the downtown Evanston Whole Foods hosted years ago. The store had only been open five years or less, and there were a number of angry former Oak Street Market shoppers that were upset that WF bought them out. They liked the fact that Oak Street Market was smaller. This was during the time that Whole Foods had a reward program, which they finally got rid of because most of the customers hated it. There were a number of people there that spent tons of money at their deli, and had no problem racking up enough sales to be eligible for the reward program. I believe in order to get the reward, you had to accumulate something like $1,000 in purchases, but if you accumulated way more than that amount, then your reward carried over from year to year. I remember that once I hit the sale amount, I got 5% off on produce.

I am surprised that Mariano's did not have celery. That store has a really nice produce section. The chicken liver does not surprise me as much. It has been years since I have bought chicken livers.

NFriday wrote:I am surprised that Mariano's did not have celery. That store has a really nice produce section. The chicken liver does not surprise me as much. It has been years since I have bought chicken livers.

I guess you're not alone. I was told they don't stock them because folks who shop in Northfield don't buy them. I understand that but in my eyes, if you don't carry chicken livers, you're not really a 100% legitimate grocery store.

Produce department was large but well picked over. In addition to there being no celery, the broccoli on display needed some viagra. It was too limp to purchase. But again, there were some very nice people working there, which is always a plus.

=R=

Hi- I have shopped at the Northfield store twice so far, and both times the produce section was wonderful, but I have not been there on a Sunday.

NFriday wrote:Hi- The Jewel that I mentioned on Howard/McCormick, is right on the Evanston/W Rogers Park boarder, and there are a ton of ultra orthodox people in W. Rogers Park. They have a kosher chinese take out in the store, and they have a kosher dairy, meat, deli and frozen section, along with a conventional section of those departments. the Kosher deli and butcher are not open on Sabbath. I think there are a few Jewel stores that have an extensive take out like Mariano's does, and have a dining area where you can eat it. I know a few years ago, some of the Chicago area bloggers were given a tour of three or four of the Jewel stores in the Chicago area, including the one on Howard/McCormick, and the store with the dining area.

The stores in Jewel stores in Skokie on Skoie Blvd and in Highland Park also have large kosher food sections -

I have shopped in the Skokie store, and yes they do have a fairly large kosher section, but nothing like the Howard store.

Hi- I was in the Jewel in Evanston on Chicago Avenue, and granted it was Sunday evening, and the meat cases needed to be replenished, but I did not see any chicken livers anywhere in the meat department. I even looked at the tags to see if maybe they were just out.

BTW-While I was checking out at self checkout tonight, the self checkout register I was at, was right in front of the time clock, and I am sure they did not want customers reading it, but that particular Jewel store, has received the lowest customer service ratings in the district. That is the closest Jewel to me, but personally I like both the Wilmette Jewels better, and especially the one at Plaza Del Lago. The people working there are so nice.

The Jewel typically does not ave chicken livers on display - you might have to ask the butchers for them - I know they are at Hungarian Kosher on Oakton -

That is interesting - I have not had any issue with the service at that store -

The Highland Park Jewel is gonig to be upgraded to one of the Fresh Market Jewel stores. However, because of the Kosher section, I bet it will be limited compared to other Jewel stores.

Potentially but there is a large observant community in HP so there might be hope that they might have more than the other store in Skokie -