What do you do with an empty Osco?

(...ear-lye in the morning!)

Our local stand-alone Osco has closed, and neighbors are racking their brains for what business we could recruit to go in the space. Everyone seems to want some kind of produce store, but at this point the space has been turned down by Marketplace on Oakton (big bummer,) Trader Joe's, and Dempster Produce. After a tipoff from this board, I suggested Sunflower Market which is being looked in to.

The concerns raised are about the size of the space: just under 11,000 square feet and with 70 parking spaces. It also has a drive-thru window.

Anybody have any ideas? Neighbors seem to want organics and high-quality produce and grocery items.

I never understood why CVS included this place in their plan to buy a number of stand-alone Osco stores, when they had another CVS just a couple of blocks south.

I know when People's Market was still going (before they converted it to a conventional Wild Oats store) there was talk about Trader Joe's moving into at least a part of that space, with maybe an independent produce seller in the rest of the space - obviously that never happened. With the move of Food4Less into the neighborhood, I doubt that the area is overserved with groceries.

nr706 wrote:I never understood why CVS included this place in their plan to buy a number of stand-alone Osco stores, when they had another CVS just a couple of blocks south.

It didn't stop them at Foster and Higgins, either. There's two CVS's about 300 yards apart.

BrendanR wrote:It didn't stop them at Foster and Higgins, either. There's two CVS's about 300 yards apart.

They must have taken a page form the Starbuck's playbook.

Starbucks achieves maximum density.

CVS bought ALL standalone Osco (and other Albertson's drug store brands) stores as part of the deal breaking up Albertsons. Albertsons businesses were sold off in big chunks with simultaneous closings and distribution of proceeds to Albertsons stock holders. In this sort of transaction the buyer usually ends up with some pieces they don't want. Then the question becomes what to do with these stores. The buyer does have store by store financial data and lease terms. Sometimes traffic patterns can justify nearby store locations that otherwise seem inexplicable although in cases there may be something of a wait and see test. I would bet that some Osco stores converted to CVS stores won't be in business two years from now.

Thanks for the details. The store in question was converted to a CVS for a month or two, then shut down and emptied out.

Is this the Osco at Asbury and Oakton? I worked at the grocery store (Asbury St. Market) that stood on the site back in high school. There never seemed to be much traffic in there no matter the time of day. Dodge/Main and the Chicago Ave store seemed to just be more convenient.

My personal take is that people try to avoid that light on Oakton, I know I go out of my way to not get trapped by the long lights there.

I've heard that a family-owned grocery store is in negotiations for this spot (yay!) and that it has some connections with the past owners of Cafe Express. Anybody know more?

More information from a neighborhood meeting: apparently the family in question is related to the original owners of Caputo's, which bodes well for the market in question. Apparently they are negotiating the lease still, and nobody wants to say anything specific until it's signed, sealed and delivered. If it does go through, the Alderman is discussing having a special-use beer and wine license as well. Good news for me, because driving out to H-Mart and Marketplace is getting to be prohibitively expensive.

Keep your fingers crossed!

CVS went into the sale knowing which stores would probably close. The same way Safeway knew which Dominick's stores they were going to close , before , they closed the deal. Neighborhood politics used to play into the formula , but not anymore.

Evanston Review Articleregarding the Osco site.

OK, so there was a deal in the works for a produce store at this site, and apparently it has fallen through. The potential owner had some undisclosed connection to Caputo's, and I heard something about a business partner backing out as why this happened - at any rate, if anybody wants to go partners, there's apparently still one person interested.

Man, having anything like a Caputo's right in Evanston would have been so cool!

Evanstonnow Article on the Osco site and Dairy Queen.

Evanstonians, Skokieviks, Lincolnwoodians and Rogers Parkites and anyone else who wants a natural-food type grocery with a good parking lot in South Evanston - Help lobby for a Fresh and Easy at the former Osco site! (thanks jlawrence01!)

http://www.freshandeasy.com/home.aspx

http://www.freshandeasy.com/yourthoughts.aspx

Have you actually been to a Fresh & Easy? If so, what were your thoughts?

From all the press and trade mags I've been reading about it, while they are great stores and are really on point in smartly understanding the demographic and the resulting needs of individual stores' surrounding neighborhoods, they're only on the West Coast so to think that they'd make giant leap into the Midwest seems to be pie in the sky.

Not to say it won't be in Chicago ever, but I don't see it happening any time soon, at least not in the old Jewel locale. If anything, another retailer will swoop in and grab the spot long before Tesco would even consider making a bid.

Truthfully, I've only explored the website, but I just readthat they're headed to Chicago. We've tried lobbying Trader Joe's (they require a traditional grocery store in the same strip) Sunflower Market (which just closed all its stores) and even had a shot at something like a Caputo's, but haven't had luck filling this space.

The demographic in the area would support a natural food store, especially in this location because it's easy to access (just off Western/Asbury at Oakton) and it has a large, convenient parking lot. Neighbors are actively seeking a nearby place to buy good produce, as many of us trek all the way to Trader Joe's, H-Mart and Marketplace at Oakton.

shoes wrote:From all the press and trade mags I've been reading about it, while they are great stores and are really on point in smartly understanding the demographic and the resulting needs of individual stores' surrounding neighborhoods, they're only on the West Coast so to think that they'd make giant leap into the Midwest seems to be pie in the sky.

Not to say it won't be in Chicago ever, but I don't see it happening any time soon, at least not in the old Jewel locale. If anything, another retailer will swoop in and grab the spot long before Tesco would even consider making a bid.

Four points:

1) The reviews are actually quite mixed. Some of the pros really like the place but question some of the CA and AZ locations. Some of the non-pros are asking "what's all the fuss about"?

2) They are looking in the Arlington Height area for a location.

3) There is some thought that there will be a Fresh and Easy version 2 before they expand off the west coast.

4) Tesco, like WalMart, became successful because they are willing to try a lot of things out and to make changes as needed to get where they want to be. I think that you'll see various things in different parts of the country.

I wish we could get a Trader Joe's and Costco up in the Gurnee area. It's a real pain to have to drive to Lake Zurich just to get my supply of pine nuts. I know I can get them in the local grocery store but they are twice the price for half of the amount.

i have friends looking for a nightclub location with parking. No one says it has to be another produce market. Food and DRINK after all.

I suspect it's too close to a school to be a nightclub, plus it's in Evanston (sin taxes and whatnot). But if they can make it work, more power to them.

Yay! Apparently successful negotiations are under way:

"...Farmers Best. They have little or no internet presence. Currently they have 2 stores - one in Northlake and one someplace else that is being sold. This is a family owned and run business and they have a full line of all fresh meats, fish, produce, cheese, deli, bakery..."

They used to own the location at Milwaukee and Golf, but had sold it. At any rate, I'm thrilled!

Great news!

Apparently this lease was finally signed, and keys are in the hands of the new owners above. There's going to be some time while the store is renovated, so I don't know how long it will be before it's open, but apparently it's actually going to happen now (how long ago did I start this thread?)

MHays,

Ultimately how was this store recruited to this location? Did the neighbors have an impact?

Regards,

I know the two Aldermen whose constituents were affected were involved in the search and in supporting the business as it came in (beer and wine will be allowed,) but they kept this one something of a secret, as we'd had a number of places that neighbors lobbied for disappeared, and they didn't want to disappoint after we'd lost out on so many others. I don't know what specifically attracted the new owner, but I'll ask at the opening. My understanding is that it will have fresh meat & fish, deli, bakery, produce and beer and wine.

However, I'm guessing that the fact that residents have joined in the search and have continually been asking for a small grocery in the space, (I know a car parts store was rebuffed on that basis) and also asking for progress reports, entered into the equation. Nothing like presenting someone with a built-in customer base to make a location attractive!

Considering the amount of excitement in the neighborhood, I hope it's a given that neighbors put their money where their mouth is!

Mhays wrote:Considering the amount of excitement in the neighborhood, I hope it's a given that neighbors put their money where their mouth is!

I know that I'm looking forward to checking them out. It sounds fabulous.

Farmer's Best Market (Unfortunately, there's nothing on the page as yet)
Lease signed for new market at old Osco site

250 Different cheeses! Yippee!

Great news, indeed. A good cheese shop within walking distance is more than I ever could have dreamed of...

I'm going to try and pop in during the meeting this upcoming week to learn more about what the owner has in store.

Has anyone been to one of the other locations?

The owner of Farmer's Best hosted a meeting with City officials and neighbors at the now-empty store tonight; I attended - along with an impressive group of neighbors who practically filled the space (if only my Neighborhood Watch could turn out numbers like that!)

Nick Merikas, the very enthusiastic and somewhat surprised owner, apparently is familiar with the area - he owned a grocery, before it was bought by Osco and then converted to a CVS, near Dempster and Lincolnwood about ten years ago. He plans to offer quality meats (nothing lower grade than choice) a deli (three kinds of fresh mozzarella were mentioned, sorry I only remember bufalo) and organic produce "but at a cheaper price" He's prepared that he'll be servicing both gourmands and the green-conscious. Beer and wine was discussed a bit - it will be a small selection of finer beers and wines, beer only in 6-packs or 12-packs, and he promised that if there was a negative effect on the neighborhood, alcohol would go away. They brought a beautiful spread of fruit and deli stuff; I had some really amazing bing cherries, olives, and soprasetta.

The store interior needs some major renovation (it's just a big open space right now) so it won't open until the fall - but they're target is to open before Thanksgiving (though he said they want to do it right, so if it takes longer, that's what it will take) He also mentioned that the two existing Farmer's Best stores that will not be comparable to this one: each store is geared towards the specific community it serves. He took many suggestions from various people, and will have a suggestion box in the store, so bring your pen to the opening!

http://evanstonnow.com/business/bill-smith/story/2008/07/09/neighbors-cheer-plans-for-new-market