The Observation Deck

Phil's post in another thread made me realize something.

Giant Eagle will no doubt close its Detroit store when its new palace opens on W.117th.

Tops parent company has the chain on the block due to soft sales. The location is considered a losing proposition (nowhere to expand, limited parking, etc) Would a buyer keep the Lakewood store open?

Is it possible that a city of more than 50,000 would be without a supermarket (other than the vile Bi-Rite on 117th?)

I could lose a few lbs but this isn't how I want to do it.

The conventional wisdom on this board is that Giant Eagle would close the Lakewood store when the 117 store is built.

What is this assumption based on?

It seems odd to me that they would close the Lakewood store, but keep open the Edgecliff store, which is actually closer to the new location.

If in fact both Lakewood stores (GE and Tops) were to close (or even if just one did), I strongly suspect Daves would move in quickly.

Also, we have the Aldi coming in on 117.

Joan

We have Regos on Lakewood Heights. One of my favorites, along with their other store the Lake Road Market. They are from the Rego-Stop and Shop Family. Fresh produce and meats, good people that live in Lakewood.

We have the LO Food security Network, and Heiniens. This should not be underestimated. While a small group, they are laying some very important groundwork for the future. Building working relationships with farmer, and acquiring Lakewood Acres outside of Lakewood.

While to some it may seem extreme, Lakewood must be able to secure clean water and good food at a fair price. While most of us go for convenience and variety. Some are building a Lakewood Brand with farmers. No matter how rosy a picture you want to paint. This is common sense.

The two biggest forms of ecological disasters are water pollution and food pollution. Read about Salmon or Canola in Canada some day, it will make you do damn! Dennis Kucinich is the only member of congress that has stepped up to the plate and asked for a bill controlling, or at least testing bio-hybrids and genetically engineered food. I mean when they are taking the DNA from blow-fish venom and miking it with wheat seeds, a little testing would seem prudent.

Again one thing nice about Lakewood. Even if we do not have it we are rarely more than a couple minutes away.

But this gets back to marketing. Who one earth would leave a 50,000+ person city without a food market! Let's be honest, we might not have Play Stations, IPODS, Ferrari's etc. But we ALL eat.

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Tops & Giant Eagle leaving would leave a vacuum that other purveyors will probably fill. I'd be sorry to lose the convenience of the location of the Giant Eagle.

We also have the Bin in Lakewood.

Rego Bros. are not in Lakewood, but in Rocky River and Cleveland. And while it's shocking to plug a non-Lakewood business, I have to give the Rego Bros. a huge THANK YOU because theirs are the only grocery stores I've visited in many years to offer customers RIPE FRUIT.

Like pears that taste like pears. Like avocados that can be used as soon as I get home. It's enough to make a grown woman cry tears of joy.

Though a member of the Lakewood Observer Gourmet Food Security Network, I support Giant Eagle and the quality jobs it provides. I would hate to see them depart from downtown convenience, though a departure from the current site could open up a range of trading places economic development opportunities, including, say the relocation of Kaufman Park to their current site, something that minds sharper than mine have floated, seeing the proximity of an added field a big plus for the schools and an appealing sports spectacle for the Winking Lizards in their street loge.

In a less than worse case scenario, wherein a posse of homies departs for Lakewood Acres ala Dick Cheney in his West Virginia bunker to plow the furrows, meathead or vegan alike can cobble a menu that spans peach cobbler, organic vegs, tuna casserole, Boar's Head ham, fine streaks, Jay's Potato Chips, cheap 100% fruit juices and more from TJ Butcher Block, the Bin, Marcs, and Dollar Tree.

I see Bin and TJs as two key independent establishments very worthy of support.

Kenneth Warren

Does anyone shop at Marc's? Have fun with your money and save.

What about the Trader Joe's rumor? Anything new here?