A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by storewanderer »

SoleOwnerOfMyName wrote:The Bedford location was open longer than four months - but not much more beyond that. My first visit to the store was in early January and it first opened about a week or so before that.

Perhaps the two locations being closed were part of an all or nothing bundle when they took over the remaining Minyard/Minyard SunFresh locations after the sale of the other stores to HEB? If so they would have been stuck with the stores regardless so perhaps they decided to give them a try.
Maybe it is that. Maybe they were smart to cut their losses on these locations rather than trying to force their format into areas where it just did not make sense. It just seems so fast...

Maybe volumes were so low (maybe it was like under $100k/week in sales) that they were thinking even if they tripled or quadrupled business they won't even be where they want to be, so best to just "cut it."
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by SoleOwnerOfMyName »

pseudo3d wrote:
storewanderer wrote:

With the Forest Lane store closing conveniently after rumblings were made about Kroger moving in, maybe Kroger has bought them and they're keeping it semi-secret.
Did you mean that Kroger has bought the Forest Lane Fiesta or did you mean that perhaps Kroger has bought the entire Fiesta chain? If that were to happen, it would be interesting - but my thought is the anti-trust people would probably freak out given the number of stores both chains have in the Houston area.

I have a lot of fondness and nostalgia for Fiesta and hope they do well. In the 1990s one of the highlights of occasional trips I would take to visit friends in Houston was stopping at one of the larger Fiesta stores and exploring their international and specialty offerings - it was an adventure trying out unusual drinks and food from around the world. At the time such items were not as easily found in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. There was no Central Market and the only Whole Foods was in Dallas about 40 miles from where I am in Fort Worth. This was pre-Walmart Supercenter so mainstream chains had not started adding specialty foods as a way of differentiating themselves. The ethnic markets in the area were mostly in the Dallas suburbs and tended to be tiny mom and pop markets that were sometimes dirty with aged stock. And the other thing that impressed me about my visits to the Houston Fiestas was the cheap produce - much less expensive than what was available at the mainstream groceries here.

When Fiesta finally opened stores in the area I was disappointed that they were small ones without the extensive international sections - but for years they were my go-to place for cheap produce.

Today my go-to place for cheap produce is Sprouts - the quality is consistently better and the prices are similar and sometimes less. Lots of people sell specialty foods these days - and I live near a Central Market. If I want to explore unusual Asian groceries I can make a trip to Carrollton and go to the large Super H Mart which is very clean and has an Asian food court, very extensive produce and seafood sections, kimchi bar, etc. For Indian there are multiple Patel Brothers locations with a large selection and low prices. And there are numerous other large ethnic supermarkets in the region I have yet to visit.

Larger Fiestas have since opened up here and I still make special trips for certain things such as a Jamaican pepper sauce I am fond of as well as Riga sprats. And there are some Latin American items that the only place I know of to find them is Fiesta. But a visit to Fiesta is no longer the adventure it was for me during the 1990s - the quality and variety of grocery options that have become available in the area over the past couple of decades is remarkable. In some respects those 1990s Fiestas were ahead of their time.

And Fiestas are still interesting to visit because they tend to occupy stores abandoned by other companies. Of the two that are closest to me, one is a former Winn-Dixie Marketplace and the other is a former Safeway/Minyard/Sack'n Save.

The last I was aware of, the guy who runs Fiesta is the same person who ran Minyard for awhile. That probably should not be held against him as Minyard was already in decline by the time he came on - and he was the one who presided over the sale of a few dozen Minyard/Carnival locations to Fiesta's then parent company in 2008. It will be interesting to see what direction he takes the company
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by dallaz »

Maybe Fiesta failed because it is an Hispanic themed chain in an area with a low Hispanic population. Most people I know, would rather go to Kroger or Walmart before Fiesta. Mainly, because people think it's only catered to Hispanics. Some people just rather shop at places where they feel the most comfortable.

I have a friend who lives in Garland, close to a Fiesta but doesn't shop there due to it being a Fiesta. I have to admit, there was an awkward stare upon arrival...mainly due to us being the only non-Hispanics in the entire store (including the store associates).

I think Fiesta needs to do a better job of marketing its stores to non-Hispanics. Maybe change the name of their stores in certain areas or do something that makes people feel more inclusive.

Yesterday, I drove passed the Fiesta (former Minyard) on MLK Blvd in South Dallas (across from Fair Park) and was surprised how empty the parking lot was on a Friday evening. (Sadly, I didn't have time to stop inside) Honestly, there were probably more employees parked in the front than actual customers. South Dallas probably has the highest concentration of Blacks in all of Dallas and I wonder how the change over has affected business. I know during the transition last year (during the State Fair of Texas), I've heard many people complain that Minyard was turning into a "Mexican store". I know the sentiments aren't a reflection of the entire area but it's something to think about...
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by pseudo3d »

SoleOwnerOfMyName wrote:
pseudo3d wrote:
storewanderer wrote:

With the Forest Lane store closing conveniently after rumblings were made about Kroger moving in, maybe Kroger has bought them and they're keeping it semi-secret.
Did you mean that Kroger has bought the Forest Lane Fiesta or did you mean that perhaps Kroger has bought the entire Fiesta chain? If that were to happen, it would be interesting - but my thought is the anti-trust people would probably freak out given the number of stores both chains have in the Houston area.

I have a lot of fondness and nostalgia for Fiesta and hope they do well. In the 1990s one of the highlights of occasional trips I would take to visit friends in Houston was stopping at one of the larger Fiesta stores and exploring their international and specialty offerings - it was an adventure trying out unusual drinks and food from around the world. At the time such items were not as easily found in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. There was no Central Market and the only Whole Foods was in Dallas about 40 miles from where I am in Fort Worth. This was pre-Walmart Supercenter so mainstream chains had not started adding specialty foods as a way of differentiating themselves. The ethnic markets in the area were mostly in the Dallas suburbs and tended to be tiny mom and pop markets that were sometimes dirty with aged stock. And the other thing that impressed me about my visits to the Houston Fiestas was the cheap produce - much less expensive than what was available at the mainstream groceries here.

When Fiesta finally opened stores in the area I was disappointed that they were small ones without the extensive international sections - but for years they were my go-to place for cheap produce.

Today my go-to place for cheap produce is Sprouts - the quality is consistently better and the prices are similar and sometimes less. Lots of people sell specialty foods these days - and I live near a Central Market. If I want to explore unusual Asian groceries I can make a trip to Carrollton and go to the large Super H Mart which is very clean and has an Asian food court, very extensive produce and seafood sections, kimchi bar, etc. For Indian there are multiple Patel Brothers locations with a large selection and low prices. And there are numerous other large ethnic supermarkets in the region I have yet to visit.

Larger Fiestas have since opened up here and I still make special trips for certain things such as a Jamaican pepper sauce I am fond of as well as Riga sprats. And there are some Latin American items that the only place I know of to find them is Fiesta. But a visit to Fiesta is no longer the adventure it was for me during the 1990s - the quality and variety of grocery options that have become available in the area over the past couple of decades is remarkable. In some respects those 1990s Fiestas were ahead of their time.

And Fiestas are still interesting to visit because they tend to occupy stores abandoned by other companies. Of the two that are closest to me, one is a former Winn-Dixie Marketplace and the other is a former Safeway/Minyard/Sack'n Save.

The last I was aware of, the guy who runs Fiesta is the same person who ran Minyard for awhile. That probably should not be held against him as Minyard was already in decline by the time he came on - and he was the one who presided over the sale of a few dozen Minyard/Carnival locations to Fiesta's then parent company in 2008. It will be interesting to see what direction he takes the company
Kroger buying Fiesta as a chain? Goodness no! I meant just those two stores. I guess it could work in theory, the companies don't have a lot of overlap in actuality (it would create the definitive #1 in Houston that's for sure) and Fiesta has moved into defunct Krogers before, though the larger floor space in some Fiesta stores (Fiesta occupies a few 100k square foot stores in Houston that sell inexpensive clothing and school uniforms) but it wouldn't be good for either chain at all.
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by architect »

pseudo3d wrote:
SoleOwnerOfMyName wrote:
pseudo3d wrote:
Did you mean that Kroger has bought the Forest Lane Fiesta or did you mean that perhaps Kroger has bought the entire Fiesta chain? If that were to happen, it would be interesting - but my thought is the anti-trust people would probably freak out given the number of stores both chains have in the Houston area.
Kroger buying Fiesta as a chain? Goodness no! I meant just those two stores. I guess it could work in theory, the companies don't have a lot of overlap in actuality (it would create the definitive #1 in Houston that's for sure) and Fiesta has moved into defunct Krogers before, though the larger floor space in some Fiesta stores (Fiesta occupies a few 100k square foot stores in Houston that sell inexpensive clothing and school uniforms) but it wouldn't be good for either chain at all.
If Kroger was buying either of these two locations, I honestly think that only the Forest/Marsh location would be a strong possibility. Currently, there are no Kroger locations serving that portion of Dallas, so the store would likely perform well simply due to being an alternative to the poorly run Tom Thumb across the street. On the other hand, I would expect the Bedford location to be unlikely for two reasons. First of all, Kroger operates stores in both directions along Harwood: a recently expanded former Greenhouse at Main/Harwood to the east (definitely a nice store post-renovation) and a decent-sized store to the west at Harwood/Central (on par with or larger than this former Fiesta). In addition, Kroger is rumored to be opening a Marketplace store in the Glade Parks development just to the north at some point in the future. If this occurred, then these two stores would be located either one or two exits away from one-another, clearly making the former Fiesta redundant. The only way I see Kroger picking up the Bedford store is if they are required to buy both as a package deal. If anything, I could see the Bedford store being sold to Tom Thumb, as their only stores in the immediate area carry the Albertsons banner and are definitely in need of renovation.
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by SoleOwnerOfMyName »

The store is now closed and all Fiesta signage has been removed except for a paper notice on the doors suggesting that shoppers go to either the Irving or Arlington stores for their "shopping convenience."

When I went by the other night they were also in the process of putting up plywood over the doors and windows - almost as if they were preparing for a hurricane. Not sure why they would do this. My guess is the other tenants in the shopping center are not particularly pleased by it - to me gives the entire shopping center a rather seedy looking appearance more than it already does with such a major portion of it vacant.

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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by pseudo3d »

SoleOwnerOfMyName wrote:The store is now closed and all Fiesta signage has been removed except for a paper notice on the doors suggesting that shoppers go to either the Irving or Arlington stores for their "shopping convenience."

When I went by the other night they were also in the process of putting up plywood over the doors and windows - almost as if they were preparing for a hurricane. Not sure why they would do this. My guess is the other tenants in the shopping center are not particularly pleased by it - to me gives the entire shopping center a rather seedy looking appearance more than it already does with such a major portion of it vacant.

Image
If Kroger was buying it, they should've tried to move in as fast as possible, and made an announcement about buying the store, then closing and remodeling it post-haste.
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by architect »

pseudo3d wrote:
SoleOwnerOfMyName wrote:The store is now closed and all Fiesta signage has been removed except for a paper notice on the doors suggesting that shoppers go to either the Irving or Arlington stores for their "shopping convenience."

When I went by the other night they were also in the process of putting up plywood over the doors and windows - almost as if they were preparing for a hurricane. Not sure why they would do this. My guess is the other tenants in the shopping center are not particularly pleased by it - to me gives the entire shopping center a rather seedy looking appearance more than it already does with such a major portion of it vacant.

Image
If Kroger was buying it, they should've tried to move in as fast as possible, and made an announcement about buying the store, then closing and remodeling it post-haste.
The Forest/Marsh store is also covered with plywood. If these spaces stay unfilled for an extended period, it would not surprise me to see the respective cities take action to ensure that the properties are at least maintained in a presentable condition. I agree that the plywood only exacerbates the seediness.

I expect that the Forest/Marsh store will be filled within the 6 months or so simply due to the location alone (my guess is by Kroger, as they have no stores in the area whatsoever). Bedford could be another story, as there are two other Kroger stores in close proximity to this store (one of which is newly renovated). If this store is filled by a grocer, my guess is that it would likely be Tom Thumb (which consequently might put several surrounding Albertsons stores at risk of closure).
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by SoleOwnerOfMyName »

But would Tom Thumb want it given that they have already walked away from the store in the past? I am guessing there was a reason they were willing to give this one up.

Of course, they did reopen the Tom Thumb a few miles north that also became a Sun Fresh and which was later acquired by H-E-B and then back full circle to Tom Thumb - so maybe they will do the same here.

Honestly, I have a hard time seeing how any of the Tom Thumb stores stay in business except for the ones that happen to be the only store in their area. The stores are not particularly special and the prices are breathtakingly high. Central Market is considered an upscale, high end grocer - yet their prices are consistently lower than Tom Thumb on comparable items. And Albertsons is even worse - their stores tend to be a bit worn out looking and their prices are every bit as high as Tom Thumb. Presumably enough people do shop there as they manage to keep their doors open - though on the infrequent occasions I stop in one because I have a last minute need for something and that is all that is close to wherever I am I rarely see more than a handful of other customers.. Given all the proliferating alternatives, I don't see how they can keep going in the long run unless something changes. And if H-E-B ever enters the market - they are doomed.

I wonder if that location would be a possible fit for Sprouts? The nearest one is about 5 to 7 miles and a good number of stop lights away near Colleyville. I am guessing that the radius a Sprouts draws from is wider than a conventional supermarket - so maybe they would regard that as too close. I also noticed that a large former Tom Thumb in southwest Fort Worth has been converted into a giant Specs liquor store. Not sure if liquor sales are legal in Bedford or not - but, if so, perhaps that would be something that could go in.
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Re: A Lifestyle Decor Party (Bedford Fiesta Photos)

Post by pseudo3d »

SoleOwnerOfMyName wrote:
I wonder if that location would be a possible fit for Sprouts? The nearest one is about 5 to 7 miles and a good number of stop lights away near Colleyville. I am guessing that the radius a Sprouts draws from is wider than a conventional supermarket - so maybe they would regard that as too close. I also noticed that a large former Tom Thumb in southwest Fort Worth has been converted into a giant Specs liquor store. Not sure if liquor sales are legal in Bedford or not - but, if so, perhaps that would be something that could go in.
Typically, Sprouts will occupy half the size of an Albertsons/Tom Thumb/Randalls-sized store, probably the same for Spec's (the Spec's on Bryant Irvin is the largest store in the chain at 55k square feet, which is atypical and not a current prototype).
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