Fresh Thyme - Deerfield

In the shopping center on the NE corner of Waukegan and Lake-Cook.

Went by yesterday morning ( grand opening )and there were guys ( I assume union - but not actually spelled out ) out front with signs complaining about the way they deal with their workers. Those guys were not there yesterday afternoon when I went to shop. The problem yesterday afternoon was that I could not get a parking spot.

Went back this afternoon and parking spots were plentiful. Noticed a large bread station and a large sandwich station and a large cheese station and then got to the first thing I wanted to buy. Scallions. $2.99 per bunch. Turned around and walked out. Unlikely that I will return

Hi- I find it odd that you walked out of the store just because the first item on your list was $2.99. Yes that is more than I would pay, but I plant green onions in my garden, and also somebody at the Evanston farmers market sells a bunch for $.50 every week. I assume these were organic though? I bought three bags of onion sets at Menards a few weeks ago, that were marked down to $.76 a bag, and so they cost me less than $2.99 and I can get green onions all summer. I have seen green onions on occasion for $2.99 at Whole Foods, and I still shop in the store. I just don't buy the green onions then.

If I lived closer to there, I would visit the store this week. There are some other things on sale that I could see myself getting that are really cheap this week, such as the Amy's burritos that are on sale for 3/$5. There was not anything on sale that you could use? I believe they had fresh pineapple for $.99 a piece. Stores sell all that stuff as lost leaders because they assume that since you are in the store already, you are going to buy the $2.99 green onions. If people did not, they could not afford to stay in business. I don't play their games though, and mostly wait until something is on sale before I buy it. One of the couponing blogs that I also post on has a post right now about free tide at her Jewel. The owner of the blog lives in Huntley, and she was in the Huntley Jewel with her two sons, and noticed that prominently displayed right in front of the checkout lanes, there were two bins of single size bags of tide, with a free sign plastered on them. Her two sons actually pointed them out to her first. She said that nobody was helping themselves to the detergent, even though it was prominently displayed. I assumed it was a limit of one free package per customer, otherwise somebody would clean them out, but Jill just replied that she asked, and was told that there was no limit. She and each of her two sons were allowed to take a handful. Most people wait until they need something like detergent before they buy it.

I know some people here could care less about hunting down bargains though, and no I do not shop at five stores a week. I have only been to Jewel and the Evanston farmer's market this week. Thanks, Nancy

NFriday wrote:Hi- I find it odd that you walked out of the store just because the first item on your list was $2.99. Yes that is more than I would pay, but I plant green onions in my garden, and also somebody at the Evanston farmers market sells a bunch for $.50 every week. I assume these were organic though?

If a store feels that is an acceptable price - then I am not shopping at that store. Better that they don't offer the product than charge triple the price of other high end stores.

Hi- Whole Foods routinely charges $2 a bunch for organic green onions, and so does Jewel, and somebody at the Evanston farmer's market charges $3 for organic green onions, although his onions are much taller than anything you are going to see at super markets. Yes, you can get green onions at Jewel for $.99, but they are not organic. Did you look at the prices on any of the other things you had on your list? On both the couponing blogs I post on, they are giving away a $25 gift certificate for Fresh Thymes, and everybody at Jill Cataldo and mashupmom that have been to the store have very favorable things to say about it, but most of those people are only getting the lost leadered stuff that the store is losing money on.

Glad to hear it's finally open. I'm picking a friend up at the airport tomorrow, but this is right on my way home. I figure it's always worth checking out a new place, even if it's just for ideas.

I didn't have scallions on my shopping list , so I decided to swing by this morning to check it out. As you walk in, the bakery and (rather skimpy) deli section are to the right. Then you get fed into the not too huge fresh produce section followed by organic produce. Along the outer wall are the frozen food cases which in turn feed you into the rather skimpy meat department followed by the seafood department. I did note that some of the meat in the refrigerated case was marked as "previously frozen." The bulk food section is in the middle/front of the store along with dry goods.

I didn't have time to analyze all of the prices along the way. But I would summarize that this could be considered a smaller version of Whole Foods. They have decent pricing on some items due to the grand opening. I'm not sure how well this place will do when there's a Whole Foods about a mile north along Waukegan. Maybe Fresh Thyme is betting on the Jewel that's kiddie corner from them closing down one of these days. Who knows?

Is this a shopping destination for me? Nope. Then again, I have easy access to the Fresh Farms Mothership on Touhy.

35 Waukegan Rd.
Deerfield, IL 60015
(224) 813-8001
http://www.freshthyme.com/

I visited on Wednesday morning, felt that since I found a spot it was worth going in, then drove past abou 5 this evening and there were tons of spots. Agree with the consensus that it isn't a destination. Staff was friendly. Tried two sausages (handmade in store) and they were ok, not special or memorable at all. Cherries have been great though. I'm sure it will become part of my route if the week's prices are good, don't see running there for a last minute necessity.

A whole bunch of new grocery stores to choose from in my area and here comes another one. I am not really into the organic thing, but I like that there are more places that are around that have it available if I do want to go more that route in the future. What's always frustrating is how expensive the healthier food is. I'll certainly check this place out, I am sure they'll have a few select items that other stores don't carry that I'll want, which is almost always the case with grocery stores. The south side complains of being a food desert with barely any grocery stores for miles, while I have them in abundance between my work (Northbrook) and home (Highland Park) with more coming.

I stopped by today, purely because trying to go east on Lake-Cook Road was absolutely impossible. Looked oddly familiar; upon further review here at home, I found out that Fresh Thyme is an Arizona-based chain, whose foray into the Midwestern market was/is underwritten by Meijer. I apparently was in one in Scottsdale last May; that one seemed like a somewhat less upscale version of Fresh Market, particularly with respect to the meat department. This one is not substantially different, apart from carrying fresh OJ, albeit not squeezed in-store. Tons of employees milling around, but none seemed too interested in helping me or anyone else, unfortunately. Lots of personal chit-chat about weekend plans and such. A request for a double-bag for a 10-lb. bag of ice was met with a "Why?" Excuse me?

My sticker-shock moment was over red bell peppers, which were priced at $2.99 - not per pound, PER PEPPER. Not in this lifetime, Fresh Thyme!

There's a great big Whole Foods at Waukegan & Deerfield Roads, less than a mile and a half away, not to mention that HUGE one about three miles south on Waukegan in Northbrook. Neither should lose any sleep about this store. Still it's good to see the Cadwell Corners strip mall inhabited with stores again. I was sure that they'd just raze it.

I stopped into the new Fresh Thyme in Deerfield last night. I was underwhelmed by the store and surprised at the prices being on the high side. It reminded me of The Fresh Market (very similar layout), but I like the options at Fresh Market more. The meat selection at Fresh Thyme was really small by comparison. There were almost no customers in there either which felt depressing. The only thing I might come back for are their sandwiches or pizza for lunch. I saw they had Italian Beef on the menu, so I asked if they made it in house - they said no. Doesn't sound very exciting. I went over to Trader Joe's (Northbrook) after Fresh Thyme which of course had plenty of customers in there and the usual cheerful employees.

Ram4 wrote:I stopped into the new Fresh Thyme in Deerfield last night. I was underwhelmed by the store and surprised at the prices being on the high side. It reminded me of The Fresh Market (very similar layout), but I like the options at Fresh Market more. The meat selection at Fresh Thyme was really small by comparison. There were almost no customers in there either which felt depressing. The only thing I might come back for are their sandwiches or pizza for lunch. I saw they had Italian Beef on the menu, so I asked if they made it in house - they said no. Doesn't sound very exciting. I went over to Trader Joe's (Northbrook) after Fresh Thyme which of course had plenty of customers in there and the usual cheerful employees.

It won't surprise me if this place crashes and burns relatively soon. The immediate community that resides around the place fought it pretty hard, so you know they're not shopping there. With Whole Foods just up the street and Jewel kitty-corner, you have to wonder who their potential customer base is. With nothing really distinctive to offer and fairly high prices, it doesn't seem to be the kind of store that's going draw customers from outside the immediate area, either.

=R=

With Whole Foods just up the street and Jewel kitty-corner, you have to wonder who their potential customer base is. With nothing really distinctive to offer and fairly high prices, it doesn't seem to be the kind of store that's going draw customers from outside the immediate area, either.

Not to mention that there are both a Trader Joe's and a Garden Fresh Market just two miles east at Skokie Blvd. & Lake-Cook. They are really going to have to step up their game to find an audience; I wonder why Meijer decided to bankroll this location? Why not farther north & west, like, say, Buffalo Grove? There's enough money up there to support it, and no surfeit of up-market stores as currently exist in the HP/Deerfield/Northbrook area. . .

Before Wild Oats was bought out by Whole Foods, Wild Oats had a store for a year in Buffalo Grove, and they could not make a go of it there.

Concerning Deerfield, don't forget Heinen's is taking over the old Dominick's store in Bannockburn, which is right outside Deerfield.

Dave148 wrote:Maybe Fresh Thyme is betting on the Jewel that's kiddie corner from them closing down one of these days. Who knows?

Wouldn't hurt, but they can't compete with a Jewel for typical everyday stuff. I would be shocked if this location makes it past 6 months. Would have been nice to have a Fresh Market there instead, there are a handful of items I only get there.

Have gone back once or twice since first visit and pretty much like it less and less.

Hi- I wonder if the North Shore is becoming over saturated with upscale markets. It seems like Mariano's and Whole Foods and Sunset are the only ones that are doing OK

NFriday wrote:Hi- I wonder if the North Shore is becoming over saturated with upscale markets. It seems like Mariano's and Whole Foods and Sunset are the only ones that are doing OK

I wouldn't include Mariano's in that discussion as an upscale market. But I agree - Heinen's, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Sunset, it's getting crowded.

Hi- Fresh Thyme has grass fed ground beef for $2.49 a pound through Wednesday. Has anybody bought any of their meet there, and is it good quality? On one of the couponing forums that I post on, somebody asked if this was a good deal, and Jill replied that it was a very good deal. The person then said that they were planning on hitting one of the two Chicago area stores, and buying 40 pounds of grass fed ground beef. It kind of sounds like that was all she was going to buy. I replied that the store was losing money big time on this, and I suggested that she call up the store to see if they even have 40 pounds to sell her, and if they have a limit on how much you can purchase at one time. If the sale was at Jewel, she could have asked for a rain check, but I am not sure if Jewel would have given her a rain check for forty pounds. I highly suspect that Fresh Thyme does not issue rain checks though. I know Whole Foods does not

I really thought when I clicked in; it was about getting the herb. I was going to suggest keeping Ajwain (bishop's weed) around and using that as a substitute for Thyme the herb during winter. It is more assertive in flavor than the herb, but then it is a spice that you can keep around forever.

But then this is about an overpriced Grocery store, oh well. But the Ajwain is still a good idea!

I checked it out when they opened and a can of tomatoes like for chili were $4!
FOUR DOLLARS FOR ONE CAN!
INCONCEIVABLE!
Even whole foods has their 365 brand for $1.29
Not again!

HI,

My favored pet supply store opened next door. I went this morning for the complimentary bag of dog food, which will go to my dog nephews. In case the cat can read, I bought her food, too.

I then took the nickle tour of Fresh Thyme. On this snowy Sunday morning, there were far more employees than customers. It is clear they are cognizant of their reputation for being pricey. In the produce department, I saw some Clementines for $2.98 for three pounds. I knew this was a good price. The produce manager informed me it was a very good price offering comparatives to Costco and other stores. He then pointed out a six-ounce box of raspberries was only 77 cents. I bought both.

When I left, they put my purchases into a reusable bag. I asked if it was complimentary, which it was.

Regards,

Hi- Whole Foods had a six ounce container of raspberries on sale a few weeks ago for $1, and they were supposed to have it on sale again this weekend. I assume that Fresh Thyme did not have the grass fed beef on sale any more did they? People say they won't go in these stores because their green onions are $2.99 a bunch or whatever, but they are just looking at one item. If I lived near Fresh Thyme, I might hit an occasional sale there. People refer to Whole Foods as Whole paycheck, but if you are selective about what you buy there it is not that expensive. Whole Foods also lets you stack their Whole Deals coupons with manufacturers coupons, such as the mambo sprouts coupons you can print online. Lately I have found myself using more coupons that I have found online, and less coupons out of the Sunday paper. The only problem is that a fair amount of the coupons have another stores logo on them. They are still manufacturers coupons, but Jewel stopped accepting those types of coupons recently. I had no problems using some Walmart coupons at Target on Wednesday though.

Hi,

After thinking about it, I went back to Fresh Thyme today to buy 20 containers of raspberries. I never made any raspberry jam this year, so now is my opportunity.

A fellow customer was hoping I'd buy them out, because she wanted to request a rain check. I didn't make her dreams come true.

Regards,

Was driving by and stopped in here out of sheer curiosity last Saturday at about 5 pm. The place was an absolute ghost town. At that hour, just up Waukegan Road, Whole Foods was teeming with shoppers. The store was so devoid of customers, it instantly made me wonder "what the heck is wrong with this place?"

Overall, the offerings were weak. Produce was especially poor, with a limited selection and many items in lousy condition. Fresh meat wasn't much better -- I was surprised by the limited selection. Between those 2 categories, I could not imagine how someone could possibly make this store their primary source for groceries. House-made sausages were plentiful in number but we bought a couple of different kinds -- Maple Breakfast and Spicy Italian -- and they were both positively disgusting. They smelled good before they were cooked but were not properly bound and ended up being nothing more than casings full of crumbly, poorly-flavored meat. They also seemed to contain quite a bit of moisture, which didn't help matters. Compared to the house-made sausages sold at Mariano's, these were a total joke. And why would they display a bunch of stinky, heavily-scented soap right by the food? I guess to make it even less appetizing than it already was.

I'd say it was shocking to see a store so empty at that hour on a Saturday afternoon but after checking it out, it actually made perfect sense.

=R=

Ronnie- you are spot-on about the sausage, I tried a few different types also, and didn't care for them a bit,
but you are able to describe it much better than I.

I go occasionally for some of their produce deals, which can be very good but you need to be careful selecting as the quality is very erratic. Their deli bacon is also good and is sometimes on sale for 3.99/lb. Otherwise I have not bought anything else there, and I have not seen others buying much other than produce. They are a bit busier on wednesday for the double sale day, but I am amazed they have stayed in business. Other than sale stuff, they seem to be more expensive than WF with significantly lower quality.

-Will

The Mt Prospect store has a few attractions: a big bulk section, better than Mariano's Arlington Heights (the only store in my area which has one at all). They carry a nice range of unusual flours and grains in the grocery section, and there's the occasional produce special. But with a tiny variety of virtually everything, it's never going to be my first choice for shopping.

I pretty much just go for the bulk stuff -- and because it's right on a route I drive regularly. I have been there around lunch time and seen long lines for their ready-made stuff, so maybe that's sustaining them. If you live nearby, the place is useful. I think of it is a high-end convenience story -- sort of Whole Foods meets 7-11. (Speaking of the Mt. Prospect store, here -- haven't been to the Deerfield one. Being near Whole Foods would be a huge disadvantage for this store.)

Hi- Does anybody buy any seafood there? They have opened up a new Fresh Thyme in Downer's Grove, and somebody at one of the couponing blogs I visit, was raving about their seafood. She bought Ahi Tuna previously frozen for $4.97 a pound, and peel and eat shrimp for $5.97 a pound. Of course these are grand opening prices, and I am sure the stuff will be much more expensive when the sale is over.

Ram4 wrote:

NFriday wrote:Hi- I wonder if the North Shore is becoming over saturated with upscale markets. It seems like Mariano's and Whole Foods and Sunset are the only ones that are doing OK

I wouldn't include Mariano's in that discussion as an upscale market. But I agree - Heinen's, Fresh Thyme, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Sunset, it's getting crowded.

The above post was from last August, but the upscale trend is definitely continuing. For me, it focuses on the fruits & vegetables. In that respect, if I had the inclination, I could shop at three stores--Garden Fresh, Mariano's and then Whole Foods for fill-in specialty items, and do pretty well overall. GFresh always has great deals on colored bell peppers and tomatoes, but oft times a limited shelf life, which is OK since we go through a lot of them. Most other staples--carrots, mushrooms, onions in particular, are inexpensive but have to be picked through. Leafy greens and cut fruit are Mariano's specialties, along with high-quality staples priced reasonably. Whole Foods are for deciduous & soft fruits and a wonderful salad bar. And I think their displays--for whatever that's worth--are really appealing as well.

But who can drive from store to store to store? I always seem to walk out of Mariano's or Whole Foods spending way more than I had intended. So it's usually Garden Fresh for me. But it still amazes me what the uninformed (or rich) will pay for produce.