Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe needs our business!

[jhnbonham]

I have been in Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe multiple times this week, and every time it has been dead empty. This is a great local business that needs our support. Show your dedication to our city by supporting this local business.

I admit I do also frequent another new grocery store located a couple blocks away, and it is a shame that the prospective clientele overlaps so much. But there is enough of a difference between the two to shop at both stores, and to desire seeing both succeed. [[Check out the wine selection at Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe! Also if they don't carry something in the meat counter, they are always willing to special order anything for you).

[Zacha341]

I have been distinctly shopping a bit at YOBS and have noticed a drop in their pastries due to lack of sale a sales person inferred. I like their salad bar.... and the sweets!

[stasu1213]

They have to advertise more

[Whitehouse]

Interesting to know that the right pronunciation of "Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe" is simply "The Old Butcher Shop."

[Spartan]

I don't really have anything against the place, but if it was a good business, wouldn't it not be so empty all the time?

[eliboyer]

What did you think the pronunciation was?

[Gistok]

What did you think the pronunciation was?

Cut him some slack... Whitehouse is our biggest [[and maybe only) DYES fan from the Netherlands. English is not his first language....

[jhnbonham]

I don't really have anything against the place, but if it was a good business, wouldn't it not be so empty all the time?

Typically I would assume the same thing, however their situation is much more complex. They were originally slated to open in 2010, but due to numerous setbacks including the building owner filing bankruptcy the opening was delayed until Fall 2012.

In this delay Whole Foods announced their opening a quarter mile away. They appeal to similar crowds, though they do have their own distinctions. A huge problem for Ye Old Butcher Shoppe is Whole Foods essentially gets free media [[including national attention), also known as free advertising, for simply being Whole Foods and opening in Detroit. The small locally owned store is not going to get this attention, they are not going to get this free advertisement. They do not have the corporate backing to heavily advertise to adequately compete.

Had they been able to open in 2010 as planned, I feel they would have better established themselves in the community prior to the direct competition, so that more people would know about them and what they provide. Another problem is location, them being a smaller business better suits them for a quicker shopping experience and would better be suited in an area people may just walk in and out more readily, such as closer to Cass or Second. But as I said above when they first planned the store Whole Foods wasn't even a rumor yet.

If the Red Wings arena with housing really does go forward they are in prime location for this, but we need to make sure they can last the X years it will take!

[sumas]

We support local business 100%. I guess we are a little staid so will give them a shot manyana.

[313WX]

I don't really have anything against the place, but if it was a good business, wouldn't it not be so empty all the time?

The long and short of it is [[with the addition of Whole Foods) the market is now likely oversaturated with upscale grocers.

We need more grocers along the line of Kroger, Safeway, Piggly Wiggly, etc. [[or even regional chains such as Busch's, Hiller's, etc.).

[ronaldj]

Whitehouse has it right. The "Y" is known as the thorn and takes the "th" in pronounciation. See Ye Old Taproom.

[French777]

I was there this evening at 5:30 and there was roughly 6-8 customers besides me in there.

[Lowell]

They advertise frequently on WDET as "the other" market and cite their longevity as a business. But that only occurred once Whole Foods opened their doors.

Their position is precarious. A combination of lack of parking [I know, I know], new competition, high prices and niche products makes it tough.

I sincerely hope they can pull it off, but I have no suggestions as to how. Delivery?

[davewindsor]

Interesting to know that the right pronunciation of "Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe" is simply "The Old Butcher Shop."

I dunno. The name "Old Butcher Shop" makes me think of a butcher that sells old meat. I've eaten stringy chicken breast sandwich before and was told the reason it tasted so bad was because it was from an old chicken. Maybe the problem is the name. Maybe they should change their name to Detroit's Finest Meats Butcher shop or the World's Best Meats Butcher Shop.

[jhnbonham]

I was there this evening at 5:30 and there was roughly 6-8 customers besides me in there.

One of them was me! Ha. Went there right after work.

[CleveBill]

First off, can we please stay on topic? The correct pronunciation of the Anglo-Saxon letter "thorn" may be of interest to amateur linguists like myself, but it doesn't lower the price of chicken! Speaking of chicken, YOBS carries a brand of Amish chicken which I am particularly partial to. Admittedly, it costs about twice as much as sale-priced bulk chicken at Kroger's, but tastes noticeably better. Anyway, most Americans eat too much meat, too often. I moved to Detroit last Fall, about the time YOBS opened. Since then, I have shopped at Kroger's a couple times, Whole Foods once [[out of curiosity), and Meijer's never. I go regularly to YOBS, but also to La Colmena, the shops and stands in and around Eastern Market, and -- yes -- Aldi's. I believe a consumer has the ability -- if not the responsibility -- to make a social impact with his or her spending habits. But how much chicken can a couple buy, especially if spread over several, equally worthy local businesses? Operating a small business, especially one which deals with perishables, is a vicious cycle: unless one has regular customers, one can't keep a wide variety of fresh stock; but running out or offering old stock will turn away new customers and cause existing ones to go elsewhere. So far, I haven't noticed a drop in quality at YOBS, but I have noticed a lack of inventory: on several occasions, that Amish chicken was not available. I was disappointed when the head butcher left and moved back to Grand Rapids. As much as I believe in patronizing small local shops like YOBS, I will continue to patronize it only as long as I can expect reliable quality and freshness.

[aj3647]

Haven't they been robbed like five or more times since they've opened? That might be eating into their profitability as well.

[belleislerunner]

Funny this exact topic came up last night with friends. I actually stopped there last night around 7pm and got some grapes/pretzel chips etc, only because it dawned on me I always run to Whole Foods.

So when we got to the house for dinner - I noticed the grapes were not as good/fresh as Whole Foods [[i.e. mushy) and the prices were higher.

So I asked the question - do we have an obligation to support local businesses even if their offerings are subpar to another option? The consensus was that we should seek out grocery stores that were local and good for our standards but shouldn't feel bad about not patronizing a place because it doesn't have the items we expect it to or the service we expect. In short, a business doesn't deserve to stay open [[our patronage) solely because it has a Detroit address.

[Honky Tonk]

Once Ho' Foods becomes the only game in town, their prices will adjust accordingly.

[motz]

So I asked the question - do we have an obligation to support local businesses even if their offerings are subpar to another option? The consensus was that we should seek out grocery stores that were local and good for our standards but shouldn't feel bad about not patronizing a place because it doesn't have the items we expect it to or the service we expect. In short, a business doesn't deserve to stay open [[our patronage) solely because it has a Detroit address.

I've always wondered what some peoples stances are on this. I personally support local businesses that I enjoy and offer me a good value. I don't think anyone should be obligated to shop at, say, Food Pride, just because it is locally owned. But I know some people who are willing to do just that. To each their own.

[michimoby]

I've always wondered what some peoples stances are on this. I personally support local businesses that I enjoy and offer me a good value. I don't think anyone should be obligated to shop at, say, Food Pride, just because it is locally owned. But I know some people who are willing to do just that. To each their own.

There's no obligation whatsoever, from my perspective. In certain places, supporting local is compulsory as it's the only game in town [[see: Williamsburg).

YOBS is the unfortunate byproduct of multiple factors, one of which is the discovery that there's not nearly enough critical mass in Midtown to warrant two high-end grocers.

[Eber Brock Ward]

I shop there pretty regularly and like it a lot. There is always ample parking behind the building and on the street to the side of the building. Anyone complaining about the parking there is barking up the wrong tree.

That said, the name is awful, whether or not the family has history with the name. At least a dozen people that I've talked to about it when I was pimping it pretty hard had the impression that it was a butcher and not a full-service grocer. Sucks for them, but I'll still go there when I'm going high-end so I don't have to deal with the lines and whatnot at WF. Otherwise, it's UFoods or Honeybee.

[Zacha341]

I agree about the name being somewhat hinky. I've been too true butcher shops and YOBS is NOT that that. If anything I've been underwhelmed re. their meats... I don't buy meat there, but love some of their other offerings.

[sypo]

We live in Brush Park and go to Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe 3-4 times per week. We've been to Whole Foods only once. The meat at YOBS is excellent [[the best marinated flank steak I have ever had) and they have most everything else we need - great beer selection, staples, prepared foods, decent fruit/vegetables. We have never had a problem with parking [[sad that we drive even though we are only four blocks away) and it is usually far more convenient to park on the street than a grocery store lot.

I wholly agree on the free pass that Whole Foods gets in terms of free marketing not to mention tax abatements that I am sure were not available to a small business like YOBS. I would much rather shop with a local, family owned store, especially when the owners and staff are so friendly.

[rjlj]

I think the name is just fine. To even suggest a Piggly Wiggly is needed is an insult. They don't even exist in the north.