Thoughts about Sunset - Highland Park

So, Sunset has been my go-to grocery. ( I know, it is over priced and impossible to navigate in the store and in their parking lot, but I have been happiest there ).

Since Mariano's on Old Skokie in Northbrook has opened, I haven't been in Sunset until today. I wanted Shirataki noodles, and I'm sure that somewhere in that huge store they existed, but everyone that I asked gave me a blank look. I went to Sunset and, of course, the guy standing in front of the registers knew exactly where they were.

So, is there a place at this Mariano's that you can go and get a legit answer as to whether a product is in the store?

And thoughts about Sunset. I arrived at Sunset at 4:30 this afternoon. I have never seen their parking lot this empty at 4:30. There were the usual number of cashiers and most of them were just standing there. Is Sunset going to survive the numerous large format, lower price and high quality stores that have proliferated on the North Shore.

They withstood Byerly's and they have a pretty loyal base. I suspect the market can sustain competition.

Not only that, they survived Jewel being just down the hill, a short walk away, for many years -- 10? 15? I don't know, but it seems Jewel was there through much of my childhood, before it moved to the other side of 41.

I think there's a place for Sunset in the market (ha ha) and hope they're around for a long time. I'm not in HP much anymore, and the Mariano's on Milwaukee Avenue in Vernon Hills is now my go-to everyday grocery store, but I am glad to have the Libertyville Sunset (and now, the Long Grove Sunset, come to think of it) nearby.

As you said, Sunset's service is excellent -- friendly, personable, knowledgeable. You get the feeling that the employees (other than the high schoolers bagging groceries) have worked there for years, like working there, and want you to be a regular customer.

I think Sunset's strongest points are the reliability of the high quality of their meat, seafood, and specialty foods and their customer service. In terms of price and selection, it couldn't be my only or my first grocery store. The Libertyville store doesn't carry much stock of non-food household goods, and their alcohol prices are higher than other places around*, but Sunset and Mariano's are the two stores near me that I'd be saddest to see go.

* As an aside, this mystifies me: the two grocery stores near me with the highest alcohol prices are Sunset, which has the large Gold Eagle liquor store just down the street on 137, and the Garden Fresh in Mundelein, which is right across the street from DiCarlo's and a Jewel. Why don't these two stores try to be more competitive on alcohol prices? The GFM has an unusual selection of European wines (first place I'd go if I was trying to find something from, say, Slovenia), but for more mainstream products like domestic wine and beer, they're always considerably higher than DiCarlo's and Jewel.

I'm very close to the Niles Fresh Farms and we have Jewel, Aldi's, the Shop & Save that replaced Dominick's, and a Mariano's about 10 minutes away (not to mention 2 Whole Foods close by). In the middle of it all is a little Happy Foods in Edgebrook that has stood the test of time (many decades). Not as high-end as Sunset in its offerings but has a very loyal local clientele.

I have lived in Highland Park most of my life. Sunset was always the store my Mom preferred to shop at. In recent years, I only go there on occasion as it can be a little pricey on some items, but they do have unique items no one else around has and the meat is good. I don't think Mariano's will hurt them at all, it's still just a Roundy's for the rest of the store. Don't forget about Heinen's in Bannockburn being a direct competitor to the higher end market Sunset caters to. Sunset has always had the best service and managers. They will special order things for you if you ask. Interesting to note the Highland Park Sunset out performs the other locations by a wide margin. The Mariano's thing is just the shiny new toy that everyone wants to see. I still go to Jewel for the everyday stuff. Mariano's did buy land next to Beeson's in Bannockburn, so that could be yet another location near here.