Former Farmer Jacks location

[313WX]

When you bring up an ethnicity in a statement that marks them out as unscrupulous, then yes, it is. It shows your prejudice and stupidity.

There's nothing unscrupulous about the facts.

The vast majority of the stores in Detroit that just so happen to be owned by Chaldeans suck.

That could be for a number of reasons. Maybe it's because they have no incentive to operate better because they hold a monopoly over the market in Detroit [[no pun intended), or because the folks who patronize their store are too poor and inmobile to access better options, or because the city is too broke and dysfunctional to make them operate better [[it is typically the job of health inspectors to make sure everything they do is up to par)..

There was an article a few years before about how so many markets throughout are getting away, in plain sight, with shelving and selling outdated foods. It was around the time Farmer Jack was liquidated. I'll see if I can find it and post it.

[Hermod]

Apropos of our discussion, the "non-oppressed" latte sippers have granted Trader Joe's corporate sainthood, but the community organizers resent the intrusion into their beloved food desert.

PORTLAND, Ore. [[AP) — The Trader Joe's grocery-store chain has dropped a plan to open a new store in the heart of the city's historically African-American neighborhood after activists said the development would price black residents out of the area.

The grocer, whose stores are found in urban neighborhoods across the nation, said Monday it wouldn't press its plan, given community resistance, The Oregonian reported.

"We open a limited number of stores each year, in communities across the country," it said in a statement. "We run neighborhood stores, and our approach is simple: If a neighborhood does not want a Trader Joe's, we understand, and we won't open the store in question."

The Portland Development Commission had offered a steep discount to the grocer on a parcel of nearly two acres that was appraised at up to $2.9 million: a purchase price of slightly more than $500,000. The lot is at Northeast Alberta Street and Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and has been vacant for years.

Critics said the development would displace residents and perpetuate income inequality in one of the most rapidly gentrifying ZIP codes in the nation.

The Portland African American Leadership Forum said the development commission had in the past made promises about preventing projects from displacing community members but hadn't fulfilled them.

It sent the city a letter saying it would "remain opposed to any development in N/NE Portland that does not primarily benefit the Black community." It said the grocery-store development would "increase the desirability of the neighborhood," for "non-oppressed populations."

Mayor Charlie Hales and the urban renewal agency's executive director, Patrick Quinton, signed a letter in January that described what they said was the commission's contributions "to the destructive impact of gentrification and displacement on the African American community."

Trader Joe's is based in Monrovia, Calif. Its store would have been the anchor of a two-building development that included space for four to 10 shops and 100 parking spaces. A company owned by African-Americans in Portland had been slated to build it.

Hales said Monday it was too soon to determine what might happen to the vacant lot.

http://abcnews.go.co...-store-22350878

[Gistok]

Yes Trader Joe's and Aldi's are separate subsidiaries of the same multinational German store chain... with over 400 Trader Joe's and over 1200 Aldi stores in the USA. Aldi's seems to do quite well in Detroit. It provides low cost/high quaility off name brand products.

As Zacha341 said, the stores are pretty standard, and you won't find crap or expired merchandise there. A first time visitor may mistake it for selling very low budget merchandise, but that's just the European no-frills store design... most of their off brand products are equal in quality to the brand names, including fresh foods, meats and dairy products. No funky smells when you enter any Aldi's.

With their very successful business model, I foresee that Aldi's and its' sister stores one day dominating the USA food retail market [[along with equally successful Costco).

[GPCharles]

With their very successful business model, I foresee that Aldi's and its' sister stores one day dominating the USA food retail market [[along with equally successful Costco).

What about Walmart?

[313WX]

For the record, I wasn't referring to Aldi or Trader Joe's in my posts [[I believe there are only 2 or 3 in the entire city?).

Anyways, the problem with Aldi is that they're a no-frills market. What Detroit severely lacks is full service grocers that sells fresh produce/meat. The options aren't ridiculously absymal like they were after Farmer Jack closed, but Detroit by and large is still a food desert, especially for those outside of downtown.

[Honky Tonk]

For the record, I wasn't referring to Aldi or Trader Joe's in my posts [[I believe there are only 2 or 3 in the entire city?).

Anyways, the problem with Aldi is that they're a no-frills market. What Detroit severely lacks is full service grocers that sells fresh produce/meat. The options aren't ridiculously absymal like they were after Farmer Jack closed, but Detroit by and large is still a food desert, especially for those outside of downtown.

May I point out La Colmena, [[Bumblebee) on 15th and Bagley? EXCELLENT meats & chicken, IMO. Produce section is top notch.

[GUSHI]

Vgs are also spartan store. Definitely not dumps. hopefully the Meijer in the city is successful and other chains open grocery stores. I wouldn't call Detroit a total food desert, you do have Easterern Market and isn't there still a Randazzos in the city, just image how worst ff it would be if these spartan store did not exist, Chaldeans do supply a need in the city, at a profit, but what business does not want to have a profit.

[Honky Tonk]

Vgs are also spartan store. Definitely not dumps. hopefully the Meijer in the city is successful and other chains open grocery stores. I wouldn't call Detroit a total food desert, you do have Easterern Market and isn't there still a Randazzos in the city, just image how worst ff it would be if these spartan store did not exist, Chaldeans do supply a need in the city, at a profit, but what business does not want to have a profit.

What's wrong with turning a profit? That IS the name of the game. Are the Caldean families and their stores supposed to be a non-profit organization? Years ago, when the Detroit mass exodus started, you were hard pressed to find ANY gas stations or food stores in the City. @ least the Caldeans stepped up to the plate to offer an alternative. If a Spartan store isn't your cup of tea, or the quality beneath you, you can always go to Ho' Foods and buy designer food.

[313WX]

What's wrong with turning a profit? That IS the name of the game. Are the Caldean families and their stores supposed to be a non-profit organization? Years ago, when the Detroit mass exodus started, you were hard pressed to find ANY gas stations or food stores in the City. @ least the Caldeans stepped up to the plate to offer an alternative. If a Spartan store isn't your cup of tea, or the quality beneath you, you can always go to Ho' Foods and buy designer food.

I'm well aware of WHY things are the way they are. I'm merely pointing out that it's wrong and I suggested a solution in the thread earlier to fix the issue.

BTW, I take my money to Kroger in the suburbs thank you very much [[Whole Foods doesn't offer my type of food at my type of prices and it's out of my way). It's the loss if the chaldeans[[and the city if Detroit who benefits from their taxes) if they don't run decent enough markets to shop at.

Unfortunately, there are many people in the city who don't have a choice but to shop at stores such as stuck-in-the-1970s Tomboy, rotten meat-scented Mike's Fresh Market or rat-infested Mazen Foods.

While it's certainly their perrogative to want to make a profit, it's also the city of Detroitlt's obligation to ensure its citizens have a decent quality if life, the least of which includes having decent and easily accessible grocery store options THROUGHOUT the city. Cutting the red tape and all that crap is nice in the long term, but in the mean time we need a solution to fix the issue in the short term.

[Honky Tonk]

I'm well aware of WHY things are the way they are. I'm merely pointing out that it's wrong and I suggested a solution in the thread earlier to fix the issue.

BTW, I take my money to Kroger in the suburbs thank you very much [[Whole Foods doesn't offer my type of food at my type of prices and it's out of my way). It's the loss if the chaldeans[[and the city if Detroit who benefits from their taxes) if they don't run decent enough markets to shop at.

Unfortunately, there are many people in the city who don't have a choice but to shop at stores such as stuck-in-the-1970s Tomboy, rotten meat-scented Mike's Fresh Market or rat-infested Mazen Foods.

While it's certainly their perrogative to want to make a profit, it's also the city of Detroitlt's obligation to ensure its citizens have a decent quality if life, the least of which includes having decent and easily accessible grocery store options THROUGHOUT the city. Cutting the red tape and all that crap is nice in the long term, but in the mean time we need a solution to fix the issue in the short term.

Well put. I certainly didn't mean profit @ the expense of bad product. You don't go to Kroger in EVIL GP, do you? ANY evening there, [[I only get out @ night) @ either Kroger or Trader Joe's, will show you where REAL Detroiters shop. Again, one of the big issues with markets in the City [[eg. Tomboy) is the crime factor [[eg. theft, shinkage). Midtown is drawing a different, higher-end kind of market because those issues are miniscule. Tomboy draws a totally different kind of clientele.

[313WX]

You don't go to Kroger in EVIL GP, do you?

Well technically, the 2 Krogers in the GPs are not in GPP.

But it's better than going to the Warren Kroger. The Roseville Kroger [[Eastgate Shopping Center) is too congested.

[GUSHI]

PORTLAND, Ore. [[AP) - The Trader Joe's grocery-store chain has dropped a plan to open a new store in the heart of the city's historically African-American neighborhood after activists said the development would price black residents out of the area.

COULD THIS HAPPEN IN DETROT?

[Hermod]

PORTLAND, Ore. [[AP) - The Trader Joe's grocery-store chain has dropped a plan to open a new store in the heart of the city's historically African-American neighborhood after activists said the development would price black residents out of the area.

COULD THIS HAPPEN IN DETROT?

Gushi, see my post #46 back on page 2 of this thread.

[GUSHI]

My bad Hermod did not see your post

[Hermod]

My bad Hermod did not see your post

No problem, just wanted to call your and others attention to it because it didn't get much comment.

[stasu1213]

The Spartan Stores in the suburb s are cleaner and sell quality produce is for the residents and elected officials demand that those stores do. The elected officials, inspectors, and health dept often look the other way and are probably paid off to do so putting money or returned favors over the needs of Detroiters

[stasu1213]

The question is still What is going c on at the former Farmer Jacks site. Hopcat is opening in midtown not at that location

[313WX]

The question is still What is going c on at the former Farmer Jacks site. Hopcat is opening in midtown not at that location

I'm pretty sure poobert answered your question earlier in the thread.

[stasu1213]

I'm prett
y sure poobert answered your question earlier in the thread.

I am sorry pootburt never had said what is opening in that spot

[313WX]

I am sorry pootburt never had said what is opening in that spot

I'm pretty sure he said the same people [[Chaldeans) who own Parkway Foods in Riverbend Plaza are opening another grocery store inside the old Farmer Jack.

[Honky Tonk]

I'm not sure how things are going @ the old Farmer Jack location, but it looks like Parkway Foods has moved out of their old location. I hope the Riverbend Plaza Shopping Center doesn't suffer any ill-effects because of it.

[DetroitPlanner]

This was my neighborhood Farmer Jack as a boy:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=jpy+r...30.62,,0,-3.02

Now a Spartan Store.

[royce]

Parkway Foods now open.

[sumas]

Well I am happy they are here. We did our first foray and the service was outstanding. No wait lines, a clerk who was not busy emptied our cart. Prices in line and even had a store person load our stuff into the car. We spread our business but it is a go to place in our book. Welcome Parkway!

[Hypestyles]

is there anything else in that plaza yet?