Left Bank Tom Thumb opens today!

[pseudo3d]

http://www.star-telegram.com/living/foo ... 61154.html

- Beer and wine bar ("Trinity Crossing"), plus Starbucks
- Is that a second level?
- Outside seating
- TX/FL decor
- Video here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/busin ... 61714.html

Overall really cool looking!

[klkla]

Looks like a nice store. Good to see Albertson's/Cerebus continue to make investments in upscale locations with new features. I don't see any features that other chains haven't already been doing for a while but it looks well executed and definitely a sign of progress.

[storewanderer]

Meanwhile in NorCal, same old Lifestyle of 10+ years ago.........

It will be interesting to see how they execute these features. Most of the competitors offering the features have higher traffic counts to support the features so it will be interesting to see how this all works out.

[pseudo3d]

Looks like a nice store. Good to see Albertson's/Cerebus continue to make investments in upscale locations with new features. I don't see any features that other chains haven't already been doing for a while but it looks well executed and definitely a sign of progress.

I am not sure if any competitors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (specifically Kroger, and beyond Whole Foods) offer the beer and wine bar. Less than 8 years, many Kroger stores in DFW were only starting to sell beer and wine due to local restrictions (Texas is a bit of a weird state in terms of liquor sales; not as complicated or obtuse as NJ or PA, you can't have distilled spirits being sold in grocery stores, publicly-traded companies can't operate liquor stores so no adjacent liquor store for big chains despite some attempts to get around it, and some counties are dry or semi-dry). I'm not sure if the bar offers mixed drinks beyond beer and wine, either (also due to state laws).

[architect]

http://www.star-telegram.com/living/foo ... 61154.html

- Beer and wine bar ("Trinity Crossing"), plus Starbucks
- Is that a second level?
- Outside seating
- TX/FL decor
- Video here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/busin ... 61714.html

Overall really cool looking!

Personally, I'm impressed. Although the decor looks quite bland in such a large store (especially considering the bright lighting), the store itself seems to be well-featured, and additions such as the bar should make this store an asset to the surrounding community. This store will also be a great trial run for Albertsons to better understand the buying habits of urban customers, which will be key for the two urban Dallas stores to open later this year and next year.

I know a grill made the store features list, but did this store also get a pizza bar? If so, that could be great way to bring in both the lunch and after-work crowds.

It will be also be interesting to see if four Tom Thumb stores can coexist within a relatively concentrated area of Fort Worth. Although I don't think that any of these stores are in trouble, traffic patterns could definitely be affected.

Speaking of the lighting (on an unrelated note), the fixtures being used throughout most of the store appear to be 4 foot LED strips. I wonder if Albertsons will ever consider swapping these out for the tacky fluorescents recently installed in many of the other Tom Thumb stores? Due to new statewide energy code changes in Texas, flourescent fixtures are quickly being phased out in both new construction and renovation, so whenever an older Tom Thumb store gets upgraded beyond a simple coat of paint, the lighting will likely have to be swapped out anyway.

[architect]

Looks like a nice store. Good to see Albertson's/Cerebus continue to make investments in upscale locations with new features. I don't see any features that other chains haven't already been doing for a while but it looks well executed and definitely a sign of progress.

I am not sure if any competitors in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (specifically Kroger, and beyond Whole Foods) offer the beer and wine bar. Less than 8 years, many Kroger stores in DFW were only starting to sell beer and wine due to local restrictions (Texas is a bit of a weird state in terms of liquor sales; not as complicated or obtuse as NJ or PA, you can't have distilled spirits being sold in grocery stores, publicly-traded companies can't operate liquor stores so no adjacent liquor store for big chains despite some attempts to get around it, and some counties are dry or semi-dry). I'm not sure if the bar offers mixed drinks beyond beer and wine, either (also due to state laws).

Out of DFW chains, Whole Foods is the primary chain known for bars within their stores. For the most part, Kroger has not jumped into the bar scene up here yet (if at all). Ironically, the former Minyard Sun Fresh/Albertsons in Uptown also featured a growler bar which seemed semi-successful prior to its acquisition by HEB.

[pseudo3d]

http://www.star-telegram.com/living/foo ... 61154.html

- Beer and wine bar ("Trinity Crossing"), plus Starbucks
- Is that a second level?
- Outside seating
- TX/FL decor
- Video here: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/busin ... 61714.html

Overall really cool looking!

Personally, I'm impressed. Although the decor looks quite bland in such a large store (especially considering the bright lighting), the store itself seems to be well-featured, and additions such as the bar should make this store an asset to the surrounding community. This store will also be a great trial run for Albertsons to better understand the buying habits of urban customers, which will be key for the two urban Dallas stores to open later this year and next year.

I know a grill made the store features list, but did this store also get a pizza bar? If so, that could be great way to bring in both the lunch and after-work crowds.

It will be also be interesting to see if four Tom Thumb stores can coexist within a relatively concentrated area of Fort Worth. Although I don't think that any of these stores are in trouble, traffic patterns could definitely be affected.

Speaking of the lighting (on an unrelated note), the fixtures being used throughout most of the store appear to be 4 foot LED strips. I wonder if Albertsons will ever consider swapping these out for the tacky fluorescents recently installed in many of the other Tom Thumb stores? Due to new statewide energy code changes in Texas, flourescent fixtures are quickly being phased out in both new construction and renovation, so whenever an older Tom Thumb store gets upgraded beyond a simple coat of paint, the lighting will likely have to be swapped out anyway.

Bit late on the draw on this one, but yes it does have the pizza section (with the personal pizzas made in-store).