Frys Signature Marketplace-Tatum/Shea- Remodel

[storewanderer]

Was the Kosher only center store or did I entirely miss service counters? Maybe it never had service counters for Kosher (like Ralphs or Smiths)?

Also did I miss the Signature Bistro, Ethel M Chocolates, Dry Aged Beef. Grilling Stations (they were at service meat before), Dessert Shop (with various not standard Kroger bakery items), and Tortillas made in store? Or were these things already removed before the remodel?

@storewanderer Not sure if you have color blindness issues with red, but it is all noted above in the thread that these were "REMOVED" in caps.

That was my post where I typed the red "REMOVED" based on what I saw there over a month ago. But it sounds like some of it is still there based on this week's visit?

[SamSpade]

Off Topic

D'oh

[babs]

Fred Meyer does this all the time. They open a new store or heavily remodel a store and within months, the special features are gone. Wine bars, gone. Grilled Cheese station, gone. Half or more of the options in the deli, gone. Tortilla station, gone.

[rwsandiego]

Was the Kosher only center store or did I entirely miss service counters? Maybe it never had service counters for Kosher (like Ralphs or Smiths)?

Kosher is packaged and frozen foods. No service departments. As long as I've shopped there it has been packaged/frozen only.

...Also did I miss the Signature Bistro, Ethel M Chocolates, Dry Aged Beef. Grilling Stations (they were at service meat before), Dessert Shop (with various not standard Kroger bakery items), and Tortillas made in store? Or were these things already removed before the remodel?

Signature Bistro, et al were gone before I started shopping at this store in 2016/2017. The store is the same as it was prior to the most recent remodel except for the movement of a few departments and a reconfiguration of Murray's Cheese. Also, the bakery seemed different than it was before, but I can't tell exactly what changed other than the decor. I think the Chompie's restaurant was there before the remodel. Chompie's is a local-to-Phoenix deli restaurant that has multiple locations in the valley. Per the Arizona Republic, the founding family still owns it and has an investment partner called JRI Hospitality.

I wonder how much dry-aged beef, specialty candy, and made-in-store tortillas the store sold back when they were available.

[ClownLoach]

Was the Kosher only center store or did I entirely miss service counters? Maybe it never had service counters for Kosher (like Ralphs or Smiths)?

Kosher is packaged and frozen foods. No service departments. As long as I've shopped there it has been packaged/frozen only.

...Also did I miss the Signature Bistro, Ethel M Chocolates, Dry Aged Beef. Grilling Stations (they were at service meat before), Dessert Shop (with various not standard Kroger bakery items), and Tortillas made in store? Or were these things already removed before the remodel?

Signature Bistro, et al were gone before I started shopping at this store in 2016/2017. The store is the same as it was prior to the most recent remodel except for the movement of a few departments and a reconfiguration of Murray's Cheese. Also, the bakery seemed different than it was before, but I can't tell exactly what changed other than the decor. I think the Chompie's restaurant was there before the remodel. Chompie's is a local-to-Phoenix deli restaurant that has multiple locations in the valley. Per the Arizona Republic, the founding family still owns it and has an investment partner called JRI Hospitality.

I wonder how much dry-aged beef, specialty candy, and made-in-store tortillas the store sold back when they were available.

It appears that this store is on its 2nd full remodel since 2010. Looking through pictures, it went from 2010 "Vineyard Fresh Fare" decor to a remodel sometime around 2015-2017 where it was changed to the "Modern Fresh Fare" decor that is still in place at about 75% of Ralphs Fresh Fare locations. Chompie's was probably installed then as it wasn't part of the original 2010 setup. That interim remodel might be when some or most of the fancy features were removed. Now it appears to be coming out of the "Modern Fresh Fare" and into the honeycomb decor.

Kroger now seems to be using two different decor packages for Fresh Fare/Signature type stores. One is a really ugly package I call Barnwood style, where basically every inch of wall is covered in some sort of recycled rustic hardwood that looks colorless, dirty and unpleasant (they were trying to go for Farmhouse decor look but failed dismally). The stores with Barnwood decor also get all the organics broken out into their own sections again and a all "traceable and sustainable" seafood counter that seems to reduce the assortment. A few examples of this decor are in Laguna Niguel and Foothill Ranch, CA. Although I find it lifeless, they probably spend a lot of money on this installation which theoretically could last forever unlike modern cheaply made graphics and signs, but then they also have a handful of signs made of die cut brown cardboard to create a "sustainable" appearance which I find obnoxious.

The other Fresh Fare/Signature decor is also in use in Fred Meyer stores and I call it Honeycomb. I think that is what they're putting into the Shea/Tatum location. They use a lot of hexagonal honeycomb backgrounds on their graphics and it is very colorful but also does not carry an upscale appearance. This is in use in a few Ralphs Fresh Fare stores including San Clemente Talega and La Jolla. I think it looks cheap and that is worsened by its use in regular and even lower end Fred Meyer and Smith's locations.

[rwsandiego]

...
The other Fresh Fare/Signature decor is also in use in Fred Meyer stores and I call it Honeycomb. I think that is what they're putting into the Shea/Tatum location. They use a lot of hexagonal honeycomb backgrounds on their graphics and it is very colorful but also does not carry an upscale appearance. This is in use in a few Ralphs Fresh Fare stores including San Clemente Talega and La Jolla. I think it looks cheap and that is worsened by its use in regular and even lower end Fred Meyer and Smith's locations.

Tatum and Shea is fully remodeled and is having (or has had) its grand re-opening already. The decor does not look like what you described. I didn't see any honeycombs. The downtown Phoenix Fry's, on the other hand, has honeycombs a plenty, as below:

Downtown Fry's #1

Downtown Fry's #2

Downtown Fry's #3

I am not a fan of this interior, either.

PS: The photos are from Google Maps.

[storewanderer]

Was the Kosher only center store or did I entirely miss service counters? Maybe it never had service counters for Kosher (like Ralphs or Smiths)?

Kosher is packaged and frozen foods. No service departments. As long as I've shopped there it has been packaged/frozen only.

...Also did I miss the Signature Bistro, Ethel M Chocolates, Dry Aged Beef. Grilling Stations (they were at service meat before), Dessert Shop (with various not standard Kroger bakery items), and Tortillas made in store? Or were these things already removed before the remodel?

Signature Bistro, et al were gone before I started shopping at this store in 2016/2017. The store is the same as it was prior to the most recent remodel except for the movement of a few departments and a reconfiguration of Murray's Cheese. Also, the bakery seemed different than it was before, but I can't tell exactly what changed other than the decor. I think the Chompie's restaurant was there before the remodel. Chompie's is a local-to-Phoenix deli restaurant that has multiple locations in the valley. Per the Arizona Republic, the founding family still owns it and has an investment partner called JRI Hospitality.

I wonder how much dry-aged beef, specialty candy, and made-in-store tortillas the store sold back when they were available.

Interesting, so a lot of that was already gone. I need to figure out when I was last in that store prior to last month- I thought it was 2018 but now I am second guessing if I went there or not that time...

The flour and also butter tortillas Kroger makes in store are excellent, I was disappointed they were gone. In places like Texas that is a lot more common of a department. I've seen in store made tortillas at a random Ralphs, Fred Meyer, or Smiths but it doesn't seem to be very high volume.

[SamSpade]

The honeycombs! Those are glimpses from the now closed "Main & Vine" store that Kroger did when they converted the QFC in Gig Harbor, Wash.

[ClownLoach]

...
The other Fresh Fare/Signature decor is also in use in Fred Meyer stores and I call it Honeycomb. I think that is what they're putting into the Shea/Tatum location. They use a lot of hexagonal honeycomb backgrounds on their graphics and it is very colorful but also does not carry an upscale appearance. This is in use in a few Ralphs Fresh Fare stores including San Clemente Talega and La Jolla. I think it looks cheap and that is worsened by its use in regular and even lower end Fred Meyer and Smith's locations.

Tatum and Shea is fully remodeled and is having (or has had) its grand re-opening already. The decor does not look like what you described. I didn't see any honeycombs. The downtown Phoenix Fry's, on the other hand, has honeycombs a plenty, as below:

Downtown Fry's #1

Downtown Fry's #2

Downtown Fry's #3

I am not a fan of this interior, either.

PS: The photos are from Google Maps.

The only photo I could find showed a new front end dining area or bar and the signage had the same informal, "pop" look as what they're using with the "Honeycomb" signage. That downtown store is one of the few that has actually installed "honeycomb" shaped ceiling fixtures and I don't believe they're being installed anymore. Will be interesting to see if we get more pictures of the finished decor, maybe it is something new.

[ClownLoach]

...
The other Fresh Fare/Signature decor is also in use in Fred Meyer stores and I call it Honeycomb. I think that is what they're putting into the Shea/Tatum location. They use a lot of hexagonal honeycomb backgrounds on their graphics and it is very colorful but also does not carry an upscale appearance. This is in use in a few Ralphs Fresh Fare stores including San Clemente Talega and La Jolla. I think it looks cheap and that is worsened by its use in regular and even lower end Fred Meyer and Smith's locations.

Tatum and Shea is fully remodeled and is having (or has had) its grand re-opening already. The decor does not look like what you described. I didn't see any honeycombs. The downtown Phoenix Fry's, on the other hand, has honeycombs a plenty, as below:

Downtown Fry's #1

Downtown Fry's #2

Downtown Fry's #3

I am not a fan of this interior, either.

PS: The photos are from Google Maps.

The only photo I could find showed a new front end dining area or bar and the signage had the same informal, "pop" look as what they're using with the "Honeycomb" signage. That downtown store is one of the few that has actually installed "honeycomb" shaped ceiling fixtures and I don't believe they're being installed anymore. Will be interesting to see if we get more pictures of the finished decor, maybe it is something new.

OK I found social media videos of the grand reopening. It is the Barnwood decor package. For pictures of that in a Ralphs look at Foothill Ranch or Laguna Niguel. It also looks like some of the high end features are left including the "Elevate" wine cellar, and furthermore there was video of the Kosher section with new signage. It also showed a new full service hand dipped candy apple case with dozens of chocolate and caramel dipped apples, as well as a very large bar and lounge up front. Maybe the new features were just launched with the grand reopening? Disappointed to see the ugly wannabe-Whole Foods "Barnwood" decor being installed again. If the merger goes through both Barnwood and Honeycomb need to get killed off and replaced with a updated version of Pavilions ASAP.