Sunflower Market: Trader Joe's and Whole Foods-Watch Out!

Poking around Lincoln Park this evening--which I am normally not wont to do due to a paralyzing Trixie allergy--and I spy a new, upstart "organic-esque" market poised to open soon and give the neighboring Whole Foods and TJs a run for their money--maybe.

Sunflower Markets is the name, they currently have stores in Ohio and Indiana and the only IL outpost is opening this Wednesday.
Situated at 1900 N Clybourn, they're certainly in a good location--though with Whole Foods, TJs and Treasure Island withing spitting distance methinks they've got their work cut out for them.

The opening of a grand nature is this Wednesday, August 30th. I'll stop by there on my way home from work and give a full report back. They're running a "sweepstakes" that day for $1,000 in free groceries, if yer interested.

Anyone visited the Sunflower Market locations in either Indianapolis or Columbus?

I'm intrigued... if it has the quality seafood/prepared food/meats of Whole Foods with lower prices...Whole Foods could get their butt kicked.

Upon further googling, Sunflower Market is actually an offshoot of SuperValu, the same conglomerate that brought us Jewel and Cub Foods.
Here's what Supervalu has to say about their new "baby":

Sunflower Market offers a refreshing take on the natural and organics market: all of the quality, without the high price tag. Sunflower Market features affordable prices on exceptional products: organic wherever possible, minimally processed, and without artificial colorings, sweeteners, flavors or preservatives.

SUPERVALU opened the first Sunflower Market store in January 2006 after overwhelming feedback showed that consumers increasingly prefer organic goods, but find their cost to be an obstacle. To serve the growing demand for value-priced natural and organic foods, SUPERVALU plans to open 50 Sunflower Market stores in five years.

At less than 15,000 square feet per store, Sunflower Market offers an efficient, convenient shopping experience without compromising on selection. The store contains grocery, frozen and dairy departments; produce and bulk foods; deli and specialty cheeses; an all-natural bakery and café; hormone- and antibiotic-free meat and seafood; beer and wine; and a wellness department.

In addition to national brands, Sunflower Market offers “local treasures,” hand-selected by the company’s buyers. The store also features SUPERVALU’s private label line of natural and organic products under the new “Nature’s Best” brand.

Each store has delicious amenities including fresh fair-trade coffee and an in-store French Meadow Bakery & Café – the longest standing certified organic bakery in the country. The organic fruit and vegetable selection is as fresh as it gets; after being carefully grown, it is expertly delivered by W. Newell & Co., SUPERVALU’s specialty produce company, and then displayed in the store’s shoppable, all-glass cooler.

* At a glance:

Sunflower is also being discussed in this thread.

gleam wrote:Sunflower is also being discussed in this thread.

DOH! How did I miss that? Thanks for the link, Ed. My apologies.