Mariano's Fresh Market
I generally try to keep my money as local as possible, but I was near Mariano's at Halsted and Madison last Thursday evening around 9 and needed a few things, and would have not been able to get to any local stores in time.
I had already been impressed with the amount of bike parking they had installed, but otherwise didn't know anything about the place beyond a vague perception that they were probably on the pricey side. My initial perception after passing the sushi and expresso bars, and the deli/bakery/produce areas on the way in was that the store was very upscale, but when I got to the aisles I found the prices were pretty low, especially the house brand stuff (Roundy's) and there was kind of a suprising assortment of foreign food of various kinds. I ended up almost enjoying shopping, which I've almost come to dread in recent years....
Anyone else shop here? What do you think? Is it a local company? Is it just a subsidiary of Wal-Mart and I'm easily fooled?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Duppie on
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Marianos is part of Roundy's, a Milwaukee based chain. With 200 stores, they are small as chains go. They have been on an aggressive expansion in Chicago. Stores still in development include Lawrence and Ravenswood, Clybourn and Halsted and North and Clybourn.
The current CEO, Robert Mariano, is the former CEO of Dominicks, before they were sold to Safeway. I think you can see the similarities.
I find the one at Halsted and Madison somewhat odd. The entrance is confusing and forces you to go thru the convenience foods first. Then, thru a narrow entrance you enter the "rest" of the store. It's as if they wanted to separate these parts.
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Permalink Reply by Thunder Snow on
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I like the place, myself. On weekends, they hire a piano player to play at the front of the store. I mentioned to the checkout woman how cool that was, and she said, "Oh yeah? "You spend six hours a day listening to him 'tickle the ivories'! Me, I'm ready to strangle him!!" Perhaps a little subversively, at that moment the pianist began to play Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto." Couldn't stop laughing all the way down the stairs.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on
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I know people who really like Marianos. The only one I have been to is the one on Benton which is in a residential building and is multiple stories. It was confusing and I did not care for it. On the other hand, they are building one right now at Ashland and Elston which will be pretty conveniently located for me, so I plan to try it when they open.
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In my teenage years I worked in a grocery store. Tunes were usually on a 2-hour loop and were changed out once a month or so. The music became pretty annoying after working there for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week during the summer. So yeah, I can sympathize with her feelings.
Thunder Snow said:I like the place, myself. On weekends, they hire a piano player to play at the front of the store. I mentioned to the checkout woman how cool that was, and she said, "Oh yeah? "You spend six hours a day listening to him 'tickle the ivories'! Me, I'm ready to strangle him!!" Perhaps a little subversively, at that moment the pianist began to play Elvis Presley's "In the Ghetto." Couldn't stop laughing all the way down the stairs.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on
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There's one under construction in the South Loop (Clark & 16th) that looks like it will be ready to open soon. They've also got a store going in on 95th St. in Evergreen Park, slightly west of Evergreen Plaza.
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Permalink Reply by Amanda L on
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It's fine. The produce is mostly large and tasteless, but the prices are reasonable and they have great customer service.
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Permalink Reply by Leah Jone on
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Pro-tip: they do those boxes of coffee that cost $20+ at Starbucks for under $10. It is a must get for when I'm hosting brunch and don't want to spend the whole time refilling the coffee pot. includes creamer, cups, sugars, etc.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah D. on
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I'm not too into Mariano's. Hate the fact that they bullied for TIF funding to go in at Ravenswood and Lawrence, when they quite obviously do not need it. (And: how long does it take to build a darn grocery store? That thing is taking forever.) Really dislike the fact that they say they're creating X # of local jobs but they then lay off 75% of X after the opening fades. Hate the piano at Western and Roscoe. Plus, I asked an employee on the opening week for the gluten-free section and he stared blankly at me for like 5 minutes. I left.
Waiting patiently for the Chicago Food Co-op, myself, and until then it's Whole Foods, TJs, Jewel, and Harvest Time, plus occasional trips to Fresh Farms in Niles.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin C Dormant on
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Mariano's carries a sharp Wisconsin Cheddar aged for 5 years that actually makes me weep with joy. Every. Time. I. Eat. It.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Dworzanski on
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They opened one on Elston near the DMV (Elston & Bryn Mawr) not too long ago. I've been surprised by the amount of traffic they get. Unfortunately the traffic has created one of the most unsafe parts of Elston with cars darting in and out of the already busy stretch without having a good view of the bike lanes due to parked cars on the street. They really should have built a single big, multi-lane driveway with plenty of room to make eye contact rather than two narrow, blind driveways. So I for one am not a fan of theirs as far as being a cyclist.
Can't say anything about the food as I've never been inside.
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