Lafayette foods update!!!

**downtownguy** · June-06-11, 06:49 AM

From WWJ Newsradio 950

Lafayette Foods’ Grocery Store Opens In Detroit

DETROIT [[WWJ) – Detroiters have a new place to grocery shop on Monday. Lafayette Foods has put down stakes on East Lafayette, east of I-375.

Assistant manager Patty Atisha said 35 new hires are ready to go and have a hand in Detroit’s comeback.

“Being part of downtown and being part of a neighborhood and … being part of bringing Detroit back, we wanted to be part of that as a business,” said Atisha.

Atisha says they’ve spent the past five months filling stores shelves with produce, deli, grab-and-go meals, hot and frozen foods, plus dishes for natural and organic diets.

“It’s a supermarket with a little bit of everything,” said Atisha.

Atisha states that most of the new hires are people who live in the neighborhood, although they continue to get walk-in and online applications daily.

**gthomas** · June-06-11, 03:44 PM

Great Store!!! I walked there today to get somethings and Im very impressed! Very Clean, Friendly, Professional..wide selections, Fresh produce, Very nice Deli section and most of all...VERY GOOD PRICES! Welcome to the neighborhood...You will do well..if you keep it the way it is.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · June-06-11, 03:47 PM

35 new hires and most from the neighborhood. Great news.

**gthomas** · June-06-11, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

35 new hires and most from the neighborhood. Great news.

Yes! From all ages too..great for youth! Very friendly and professional. Nice polo's for the workers too..

**DetBill** · June-06-11, 07:43 PM

Hey went by with a friend of friday and got a tour, was a real nice thing to do when they just saw us looking through the window
have been away since but it looks real nice
definetly will shop there.. I really hope the locals feel the same way,,

**downtownguy** · June-06-11, 08:03 PM

Warning! Lafayette Foods may be hazardous to your arthritic shoulder... but other than that, it's great!

I just ran over after work to check it out and maybe pick up a few of the sale items [[Eckrich Bologna $1/16oz; Tilapia filets $3.99/1# pkg), and I was not disappointed in the least. Prices are verrrrrrrrry competitive, and the sale prices so good I bought much more than I planned to [[Mrs. T's Pierogis/$2.39; Frozen Vegetables 4/$5). I saw many folks I recognized from the 'hood loading up as well [[Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread/$1.69 loaf; Domino Sugar/2-5# bags $5).

There were smiling faces of staff members all over ready to help if I needed it. Shelves were fully stocked and the variety of goods actually quite surprising. Good looking produce, meat and poultry, too. The cashier was almost as excited as I am that they are open now, and on the way out, I had the opportunity to meet our fellow poster, Mr. LafayetteFoods himself. He was most cordial and I could tell that this was going to be a much different store than the former Downtown Foodland. Our host allowed me to go on and on about how I think he should run his store and he kept smiling the entire time.

This is a family run operation. As long as there is Lafayette Foods and our other great family run grocers nearby [[Honey Bee, Harbortown, etc), if Kroger ever decides to come back into the city they abandoned years ago, well they can just kiss my patooty!

But now my shoulder's sore from those heavy bags I didn't plan to walk home with. It's ok, I'll just treat myself to some [[Made in Michigan Hudsonville Ice Cream/$2.99) and it will be good as new in no time.

**stasu1213** · June-06-11, 08:23 PM

I was very impressed also. The store has everthing that I need. I think that Lance and co will keep this store up for years to come. I had always said that the city need more independent good grocery stores instead of one or two big chain stores to dominate the neighborhood. I had seen a guard in the store. That is good to keep away the riffraff and pandhandlers who drives away businesses. Have heavy security to keep away those troublemakers who lives in the Martin Luther King apartments. Not saying everyone who lives there are troublemakers but the neighborhood trouble makers resides there. The strip mall has great potential. I could see a Tim Hortons in the spot where Paris Cafe once was.

**Bagley** · June-06-11, 09:54 PM

Cancelled a visit to Meijer tonight in favor of a date night stroll to Lafayette Foods tomorrow! Hopefully, it will be as awesome as everyone says--and stay that way. Excite to spend some money in my backyard and get some good deals to boot.

**gthomas** · June-06-11, 10:17 PM

Support it! Also seen some office workers in there or if they lived near by? Cool to see though..

**LafayetteFoods** · June-10-11, 11:16 PM

Thank you to everyone that has stopped in to check out the new neighborhood store, Lafayette Foods. Thanks for all the supportive comments everyone has been posting, we really appreciate it! Special thanks to Downtownguy for coming in and introducing himself [[pleasure talking to you). The community was supper excited about the store. I received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from most if not all the people that have walked in. I am extremely excited about the journey ahead. Everyone please come in and give us a try. Please spread the word to your friends and family you won’t be disappointed.
Thank You
Lance A

**gthomas** · June-11-11, 12:05 AM

No problem sir, will spread the word. Thank you for giving Detroit a chance..very convient for me and my guest who visit. Keep it going...

Originally Posted by LafayetteFoods

Thank you to everyone that has stopped in to check out the new neighborhood store, Lafayette Foods. Thanks for all the supportive comments everyone has been posting, we really appreciate it! Special thanks to Downtownguy for coming in and introducing himself [[pleasure talking to you). The community was supper excited about the store. I received a tremendous amount of positive feedback from most if not all the people that have walked in. I am extremely excited about the journey ahead. Everyone please come in and give us a try. Please spread the word to your friends and family you won’t be disappointed.
Thank You
Lance A

**fryar** · June-11-11, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

Warning! [B]Lafayette Foods may be hazardous to your arthritic shoulder...

Interesting point.

I used to get some looks - and some positive comments, mind you - from the granny cart I had brought with me from NYC. I guess you might say shopping cart, but granny cart is what I usually hear them called. In any event, it definitely seemed like something a little "exotic" in Detroit, and so this might be a "novel" introduction.

You guys may want to sell those. By the time I moved to DC, I needed one for some reason or another - I tend to lose things when I move - and my saving grace [[in the absence of NYC's hardware stores) was the "Giant" supermarket, which sold them for like $25.

See http://daily.sightline.org/2010/04/1...e-granny-cart/, for example, for some examples that should elicit an appreciative "Ahhhh..." from some board members concerned with walkability and such, if nothing else.

I know if I walked in there, I'd be happy to see you selling them.

The three-wheeled one could be helpful for boarding the bus?

**Bagley** · June-11-11, 10:11 PM

FYI--Those carts are already carried at the hardware store near Eastern Market.

**downtownguy** · June-13-11, 08:01 AM

Hey neighbors... the new weekly ad is up: http://www.lafayettefoods.com/weeklyad.html. The prices are exxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxcellent again! I'm thinking of gaining 20 pounds just to show my support for the store!

**BrushStart** · June-13-11, 12:11 PM

Went to Lafayette Foods yesterday. The store is very nice. Wide selection and quality deli and produce. The store was very clean and staff was super friendly. Great experience overall. I'll be back next week for sure.

**Hypestyles** · June-13-11, 12:50 PM

how are the deli hot & cold foods?

**BrushStart** · June-13-11, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

how are the deli hot & cold foods?

It all looked pretty good, especially the BBQ ribs. They have pasta salad, potato salad, spinach dip, mac 'n cheese, chicken wings, spaghetti, lasagna, and other stuff. I just picked up some cold cuts and deli cheese, and everything was fresh. Also, they slice to order, not like Meijer where they just give you whatever they cut earlier in the day. I like my ham sliced thin, damnit!

**stasu1213** · June-13-11, 09:00 PM

I realy like your store Lance! It is simple but fit the demands of the people in the neighborhood. It will give the Kroger in Grosse Pointe a run for the money. I have an idea. How about breakfast sandwiches the grab and go type for the commuters who are driving into downtown or walking. They could grab a sandwich and juice or another type of drink and continue on their way to work. Just a thought. Your market was worth the wait and my apologies for being pushy.

**LafayetteFoods** · June-19-11, 04:39 PM

Thank you to everyone for coming in and supporting your neighborhood store. Don’t forget to stop in on your way home from work and pick up our yummy Rotisserie Chickens, for a great everyday low price of $4.99!!!!!!

**Chinman** · June-19-11, 04:51 PM

don't foprget to put flyers up in the neighborhood!
i live in TownSquare CoOps, we love having shopping about 300 yards from our homes!
thanks for coming in and giving a place to shop!!!!

**douglasm** · June-19-11, 04:51 PM

Lance....
.....although it would be hard for me to service [[much less visit) your store from 2200 miles away, on behalf of any number of vendors and merchandisers [[bread, pop, chip, beer, etc.) who now have more a little more work....and income...than they did before, thank you for opening what appears to be a very nice little grocery store. Best of luck to you and your staff.

**downtownguy** · June-19-11, 06:59 PM

Nice words from afar, douglasm. But to be clear, this is not a "little grocery store." It's full service and competes with anything in the 'burbs. OK, maybe they don't have fresh flowers and all that stuff incidental to grocery shopping, but you get my drift.

And to Chinman, may I suggest that you bookmark the link to their webpage and check out the weekly ad? http://www.lafayettefoods.com/weeklyad.html I'm luvin' the sale prices!!!

**Bagley** · June-19-11, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by Chinman

don't foprget to put flyers up in the neighborhood!
i live in TownSquare CoOps, we love having shopping about 300 yards from our homes!
thanks for coming in and giving a place to shop!!!!

Gotta specify which Co-Ops want more flyers... I think most of us who want more flyers will stop by and grab one. Love the store so far!

**stasu1213** · June-19-11, 10:07 PM

Keep up the good work Lance. The fireworks are coming up and the 4th of July. You will profit greatly

**downtownguy** · June-22-11, 07:52 AM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

But to be clear, this is not a "little grocery store." It's full service and competes with anything in the 'burbs. OK, maybe they don't have fresh flowers and all that stuff incidental to grocery shopping, but you get my drift.

Well, I have egg on my face. Turns out they do have flowers, too. And I got a 30% discount coupon for flowers with my receipt last night.

Now, all you DYessers waiting and speculating about whether that national chain Whole Foods is going to locate in Detroit, Lafayette Foods -- family owned and managed -- is here now!