Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. No non-grocery posts.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by storewanderer »

Looks like this finally opened, rather late.

Looking at some photos of the store, it looks great. It also looks quite large.

Much better than that King Soopers in downtown Denver (pathetic store and entrance layout and poorly run).
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1242
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by rwsandiego »

I walked over to the new Fry's after work. My expectations were low (this is a Fry's, after all) and I was not disappointed. Wasn't impressed, but wasn't disappointed.

The good:
  • It is .78 miles from my home (.25 miles closer than Safeway)
  • The decor package is very nice (didn't get a ton of pics due to the crowds - will get more later)
  • It has local deli chain Chompie's in the store
  • It has a lot of cafe seating and it looks to be comfortable
  • The hot fried and rotisserie chicken looked fresh
  • They serve beer and wine
  • Unlike most Fry's locations, the produce was fresh. Of course, they opened today. Let's see what next month brings
The not-so-good:
  • "Fresh and Ready" was overwhelmingly grab-and-go sandwiches. That's fine at lunchtime. Not so fine at 7:00 PM
  • Sushi was very picked over. I was surprised they didn't have the sushi chef stick around, given it was opening day
  • "Hot foods" was all wings, which were not as appetizing-looking as Safeway's. $1 per pound more expensive, too
  • Meat selection was dismal - very little Simple Truth in beef and pork. More in chicken
  • Service meat had more variety, but not much in the way of all-natural, organic, and better cuts of meat
  • Bakery was overwhelmingly LaBrea Bakery, which they try to pass off as being "European." Um, no.
  • Aside from the Chompie's outlet, very little in the way of local products
I honestly think Fry's did not get the memo that people who pay $1,500 - $2,500 for rent (in Phoenix, for heaven's sake) want more than a middle-of-the-road Fry's with a nice decor package. They really ought to visit the Safeway that's a mile away and see the large hot food bar (which has Italian, Chinese, Mexican, and a rotating variety of other foods), the bakery that features cake and pie slices from local bakeries and the meat department that has "wow" factor items like tomahawk steaks and organic beef and pork. I hope they get their act together. Although I didn't expect much, I hoped my low expectations were unfounded and this store would be like the Clark/Division Jewel in Chicago or like a mini-Mariano's. Alas, it is not.

It will be nice to have the store right in front of the light rail station, so when I take it home from work I can dash into Fry's for dinner. Assuming, of course, they improve the merchandise mix.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by storewanderer »

How does this compare to, say, the Frys Signature Marketplace up at Tatum and Shea? In terms of its offerings for fresh deli, bakery, and meat?

Sounds like they have learned nothing from the purchase of Mariano's. That was a great urban format. They could have easily replicated it at Frys. I think 5 years ago had Frys opened this store it would have been a lot more inspired/impressive.

To me, it sounds rather underwhelming and not even close to being on par with the "Signature Marketplace."

Then again this is just a plain old Frys, right? Not a "Signature" and not a "Marketplace?"

Kroger must have missed the memo that Albertsons laid off of hot by the pound wing bars a couple years ago, isn't putting them into most new stores anymore, and has even pulled them out of some existing stores lately.

I see this "Chompie's" deems itself a bakery, deli, and restaurant. Did they have any bakery stuff in the store from this outfit? What about hot/ready to eat food/grab and go?

I expect what happens next is Whole Foods shows up in downtown Phoenix with a usual store with the features (salad bar, hot food bar, soup bar, some scratch bakery items, higher end meat because I don't think you're going to sell many 5 pound chubs of 30% fat ground beef or 5 pound packages of chicken legs in an urban downtown store so why even waste space with the stuff) and since that format is much more catered to the urban consumer, will capture a lot of business. Sounds like downtown Denver all over again. The only difference here is this Fry's is right at the light rail stop; in Denver it is the opposite with the Whole Foods right across from the main light rail station and the Kroger operation a few blocks away arguably a little hidden.

Having a store right along the light rail is a huge thing. It is good for people who live elsewhere as well as it makes the store easy to access.

I notice Smiths pushing La Brea actively with a side page of the ad featuring it this week. Earlier this year, some Kroger divisions (notably Fred Meyer) got rid of La Brea completely and brought in some sort of Kroger private label par-baked bread. Smiths never fully transitioned to that new bread, but I wonder if they have backed off on that bread and gone back to favoring the La Brea? I have been really surprised to observe customers asking where the La Brea stuff is, when it is removed or scaled back. I didn't know par baked dry rubbery crust bread had such a following.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1242
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by rwsandiego »

storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm How does this compare to, say, the Frys Signature Marketplace up at Tatum and Shea? In terms of its offerings for fresh deli, bakery, and meat?
Meat is about the same. Deli and bakery is not even close.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...Sounds like they have learned nothing from the purchase of Mariano's. That was a great urban format. They could have easily replicated it at Frys. I think 5 years ago had Frys opened this store it would have been a lot more inspired/impressive.
You hit the nail on the head. I would have been happy with a copy of the Downtown San Diego Ralphs or the one on 3rd and LaBrea in LA.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pmTo me, it sounds rather underwhelming and not even close to being on par with the "Signature Marketplace."...
Underwhelming is the word! Not anywhere near a Signature Marketplace.

What kills me is the McDowell Safeway is 15K square feet smaller than the Fry's yet they have wider aisles, better and bigger fresh departments, and a very large hot food bar.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...Then again this is just a plain old Frys, right? Not a "Signature" and not a "Marketplace?" ...
That's right. No "Signature," no "Marketplace." I would not expect a Marketplace downtown. I did, however, expect a bigger H&B department. It is tiny.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...Kroger must have missed the memo that Albertsons laid off of hot by the pound wing bars a couple years ago, isn't putting them into most new stores anymore, and has even pulled them out of some existing stores lately. ...
Here in Phoenix, all of the Safeways I shop at have wings bars. The McDowell store has a wings bar in addition to a humongous hot foods bar, which has improved tremendously since the store was remodeled last year. They are super popular and the best wings around. The ones at Fry's did not look very good.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...I see this "Chompie's" deems itself a bakery, deli, and restaurant. Did they have any bakery stuff in the store from this outfit? What about hot/ready to eat food/grab and go? ...
Of course they didn't! The funny thing is I have bought Chompie's bread at other Fry's stores.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...I expect what happens next is Whole Foods shows up in downtown Phoenix with a usual store with the features (salad bar, hot food bar, soup bar, some scratch bakery items, higher end meat because I don't think you're going to sell many 5 pound chubs of 30% fat ground beef or 5 pound packages of chicken legs in an urban downtown store so why even waste space with the stuff) and since that format is much more catered to the urban consumer, will capture a lot of business....
It would not surprise me. There is not much room for a Whole Foods just yet, but as part of the light rail extension to South Mountain (a district to the south of Downtown Phoenix) Valley Metro will be redeveloping the main bus/light rail station. It would not surprise me if the new building included a Whole Foods or a Sprouts. Frankly, I wish Sprouts would have opened in the Fry's space. It would have been a much better fit.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...Having a store right along the light rail is a huge thing. It is good for people who live elsewhere as well as it makes the store easy to access. ...
That's true. The light rail is pretty heavily used, especially by ASU students commuting between the Phoenix and Tempe campuses.
storewanderer wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 8:27 pm...I notice Smiths pushing La Brea actively with a side page of the ad featuring it this week. Earlier this year, some Kroger divisions (notably Fred Meyer) got rid of La Brea completely and brought in some sort of Kroger private label par-baked bread. Smiths never fully transitioned to that new bread, but I wonder if they have backed off on that bread and gone back to favoring the La Brea? I have been really surprised to observe customers asking where the La Brea stuff is, when it is removed or scaled back. I didn't know par baked dry rubbery crust bread had such a following.
When I lived in San Diego, Ralphs carried LaBrea and the local VONS carried a small handful of LaBrea and a wide selection of Sadie Rose, a local bakery. The Sadie Rose flew off the shelves as did the Safeway baked goods. the LaBrea stuff was always on the day-old counter.

I really wish the Fry's was a Safeway. They run a great operation here in Phoenix. I can see myself running over to Fry's for a few basics or maybe stopping on the way home when I don't feel like thawing something, but I won't do my shopping there. Safeway will lose some customers who live close to Fry's, but I really don't think they will lose much. If Fry's thinks they will siphon business away from Los Altos Ranch Market (the only grocery serving the neighborhoods east of downtown) they are dead wrong.
klkla
Posts: 1614
Joined: February 24th, 2009, 3:26 pm
Been thanked: 2 times
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by klkla »

There's a video from one of the local TV stations here:


And some photos here:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/lo ... 057003002/

The décor package looks good with the open ceilings.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by storewanderer »

rwsandiego wrote: October 23rd, 2019, 10:52 pm
So I looked at some Google photos very closely as new photos have been posted since yesterday. To the left of the La Brea display there appears to be a tiny basket of packaged "Chompie's" baked goods.

Also what is the stuff in the self service food case below the "Chompie's" sign? It looks like standard Kroger stuff but is any of that "Chompie's?"

I am not sure about the idea of relying so heavily on this "Chompie's" thing to make the store better than a standard Fry's on bakery/deli/ready to eat, but it seems to be the biggest stand out.

I see there is a salad bar which looks pretty decent... did not notice that in previous photos I saw.

I also see the deli has standard fried chicken, not the "Chicken Co." program I've been seeing at various divisions and at Smiths. "Chicken Co." tries to copy KFC (but seems to use even more salt) and is a total joke of a concept. All of the in-house developed hot food concepts that Kroger has are basically jokes (Mexican, BBQ, Pan Asian, "Chicken Co"); they need to use Harris Teeter's Pizza Program, Dillons hot chinese food program, King Soopers fried chicken program, and just be done with it.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1242
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by rwsandiego »

klkla wrote: October 24th, 2019, 6:01 pm There's a video from one of the local TV stations here:


And some photos here:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/lo ... 057003002/

The decor package looks good with the open ceilings.
The decor package is very, very nice. In fact, it is the nicest Kroger decor package I've seen in 19 years of shopping their stores. The store layout is also very good. Knowing the property, I was afraid it would be funky but it actually flows quite well. The employees are also very nice, which is not always the case at the 20th and Camelback store.
storewanderer wrote: October 24th, 2019, 8:09 pm So I looked at some Google photos very closely as new photos have been posted since yesterday. To the left of the La Brea display there appears to be a tiny basket of packaged "Chompie's" baked goods. ...
It is possible that I missed them or that they were sold out by the time I got there at 7:00 PM.
storewanderer wrote: October 24th, 2019, 8:09 pm...Also what is the stuff in the self service food case below the "Chompie's" sign? It looks like standard Kroger stuff but is any of that "Chompie's?"...
If memory serves correctly, there was some Chompie's branded product in the case.
storewanderer wrote: October 24th, 2019, 8:09 pm...I am not sure about the idea of relying so heavily on this "Chompie's" thing to make the store better than a standard Fry's on bakery/deli/ready to eat, but it seems to be the biggest stand out. ...
Were it up to me, given the limited space available I would have done something other than Chompie's. However, they have a strong following in Phoenix built upon 40 years of being in business in the Valley. If they serve the full menu, it would be a draw for me as well as others because the closest one to Downtown is rather a hike.
storewanderer wrote: October 24th, 2019, 8:09 pm...I see there is a salad bar which looks pretty decent... did not notice that in previous photos I saw. ...
Evan at 7:00 PM, the salad bar looked very fresh. If they had a hot bar, like Safeway does, a salad bar salad and hot bar entree would have been dinner last night.
storewanderer wrote: October 24th, 2019, 8:09 pm...I also see the deli has standard fried chicken, not the "Chicken Co." program I've been seeing at various divisions and at Smiths. "Chicken Co." tries to copy KFC (but seems to use even more salt) and is a total joke of a concept. All of the in-house developed hot food concepts that Kroger has are basically jokes (Mexican, BBQ, Pan Asian, "Chicken Co"); they need to use Harris Teeter's Pizza Program, Dillons hot chinese food program, King Soopers fried chicken program, and just be done with it.
I thought the sign said "Chicken Co," but I could be wrong. Will check when I go back. The chicken looked to be very fresh and I would have bought some had I not been walking home. It would have been soggy by the time I got there.

Hopefully, as Fry's first "urban" store, it will be refined as time goes on.

I'd give the place a "B."
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by storewanderer »

Let's hope things get a bit more inspired with this store. Frys has run some good "one off" stores before and this should be another of those "one off" stores. Similar to the "Signature Marketplace" or the "Mercado" this is a unique store in a high profile location with unique needs. Since it is their only urban store, they can do things differently here than usual.

I really had to look to see the little display of the "Chompie's" baked goods next to the La Brea. It is almost hidden.

This "Chompie's" appears to be an opportunity to build meal period traffic. Hopefully it will work for them. I can see the appeal since it serves all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

I think additional ready to eat food offerings in addition to "Chompie's" would have been good... not sure what else is downtown already. I keep thinking of the Mariano's Stores with their extensive ready to eat food offerings and extensive bakery operation in locations that felt somewhat similar to this. Not to mention the Whole Foods in such locations with such offerings I've seen in numerous downtowns or college neighborhoods.
rwsandiego
Store Manager
Store Manager
Posts: 1242
Joined: April 3rd, 2016, 10:57 pm
Has thanked: 23 times
Been thanked: 55 times
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by rwsandiego »

This is the O N L Y grocery store in downtown Phoenix. The next-closest store is a small Safeway on McDowell between 3rd and 7th, which is about two miles away. It is the supermarket I shop the most. There is a ton of places to grab a quick lunch as well as a ton of sit-down restaurants in the immediate vicinity. However, there are very few grab-and-go and take-out places for dinner, which I think this store should capitalize on.

They did have some prepared heat-and-eat meals, but by no means were they prepared on site. My hope is they put in a hot food bar. As I mentioned up-thread, the seating area is very nice. Lots of comfortable-looking booths, a bar (not sure whether it is beer/wine only or a full bar), and a ton of tables and chairs.

Let's see what Fry's does. The Mercado is actually a pretty decent store. They certainly nailed the concept of putting businesses (I believe there's an insurance agency, money transfer place, maybe jewelry?) in the store.

Fingers crossed. Toes, too.
storewanderer
Posts: 14379
Joined: February 23rd, 2009, 3:54 pm
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 298 times
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Frys downtown Phoenix now open

Post by storewanderer »

rwsandiego wrote: October 25th, 2019, 7:09 pm This is the O N L Y grocery store in downtown Phoenix. The next-closest store is a small Safeway on McDowell between 3rd and 7th, which is about two miles away. It is the supermarket I shop the most. There is a ton of places to grab a quick lunch as well as a ton of sit-down restaurants in the immediate vicinity. However, there are very few grab-and-go and take-out places for dinner, which I think this store should capitalize on.

They did have some prepared heat-and-eat meals, but by no means were they prepared on site. My hope is they put in a hot food bar. As I mentioned up-thread, the seating area is very nice. Lots of comfortable-looking booths, a bar (not sure whether it is beer/wine only or a full bar), and a ton of tables and chairs.

Let's see what Fry's does. The Mercado is actually a pretty decent store. They certainly nailed the concept of putting businesses (I believe there's an insurance agency, money transfer place, maybe jewelry?) in the store.

Fingers crossed. Toes, too.
Are those prepared heat and eat meals the same ones the other Frys have too? Probably the same ones Smiths has if they come from the AZ producer... have not been impressed with these items (polite way to put my opinion).

Are they counting on "Chompie's" to be the ready to eat food option?

It appears "Chompie's" has a somewhat extensive menu. Maybe they need to present it differently somehow. As you point out, grab and go. Like, something you can grab with a few other groceries and run through the self checkout and get out of the store quickly with one transaction. Not "wait in line, order from menu board, pay counter for the food, wait for order, then take the rest of your stuff up to the main grocery checkout while your food is getting cold, and pay for it in transaction 2, then finally go."
Post Reply